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BRITISH ARCTIC AIR ROUTE EXPEDITION
1930- 1931
EXPEDITION AIMS
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To keep continuous weather observations at the Base for one year
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To establish a station on the Greenland ice cap (approx 140 miles inland) on the highest point between the Base and the West Coast and to keep weather observations at this station for one year. The instruments measured temperature, pressure, wind force and speed of clouds.
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To map the coast north of the Base from Angmagssalik to Cape Dalton (a distance of 380miles)
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To map the inside of the coastal mountain belt North of the Base as far as Kangerdlugsuak and if possible climbing mount Forel on the way
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To map the coast south of the Base for a distance of 60-100 miles
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To investigate the height and weather conditions on different parts of the ice cap by means of long journeys; they planned two main ice cap journeys, one North and one South along the centre of the ice cap
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Two aeroplanes were to be used for air photography to assist mapping and also to test the flying conditions throughout one year in East Greenland
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At the end of the year, they hoped to do a demonstration flight along the whole route between England and Winnipeg
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A study was to be made of the geology and ornithology of East Greenland
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JOURNEYS ALONG THE COAST AND ICE-CAP
LOCATION OF ICE CAP STATION
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1. The expedition had the financial support of the Royal Geographical Society and was greatly assisted by the Air Ministry, the War Office and the Admiralty who lent personnel and instruments. The Danish Government also gave considerable assistance. It was however, mainly owing to the Courtauld family and in particular the generosity, hard work and advice of Mr Stephen Courtauld, that the expedition was made successful.
Committee: HRH Prince of Wales (President); Mr Stephen Courtauld (Chairman); Mr Augustine Courtauld (Treasurer); Captain R Rayner OBE (Secretary); Mr J M Wordie; Mr A Holt; Gino Watkins.
Other than Watkins, there were only two other members with previous Arctic experience; J M Scott had been with Watkins in Labrador, while August Courtauld was a member of J M Wordie’s expeditions to Greenland in the summers of 1926 and 1929.
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BRITISH ARCTIC AIR ROUTE EXPEDITION, 1930
TEAM MEMBERS
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It took Watkin’s group of young men eighteen months to map Greenland’s East coast and central ice-cap. No one had ever travelled on the ice-cap in winter, where conditions were brutal with constant blizzards, during which travel was impossible. The men were forced to huddle together in their tent for warmth. The dogs outside only had their noses showing above the snow and they would eat their leather harnesses which were attached to their sledges. They had never imagined the Arctic winter could be so vicious and as a result, the relief of the ice-cap station became more and more difficult.
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ASCENT OF BUGBEAR BANK |
“Still blowing, tent shaking and beating all day. Towards evening the wind increased in violence and as darkness fell, the tent was thundering and shaking as if it would be torn to pieces at any moment. Had to shout to make myself heard by Hampton who was only a foot away. Everything covered with rime and snow, sleeping bags wet. We slept in our clothes and prayed the tent would stay up. And again, we hadn’t been a quarter of a mile before all the sledges were over. The surface was alternately knife-edge drifts as hard as concrete and soft snow.”
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When it came to the turn of the second relief party, led by August Courtauld, they set off from the base camp on 26th October and took 39 days to travel the 140miles, due to such terrible conditions. The sledges carrying vital food and instruments constantly overturned and broke on the unsteady ice, while the men with frost-bitted fingers tried to mend them. When they finally arrived at the ice-cap station in temperatures of -45°c, the first two occupants, had been there for two months rather than one. |
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ICE CAP STATION, 1930 |
August decided it was impossible to continue the plan of relieving the station under such appalling conditions, so in order to avoid having to close down the weather station completely and the expedition becoming a failure, a new plan had to bemade. He worked out he could stay alone on the ice-cap with enough food and fuel to last him five months and continue to keep observations for the rest of the winter. He told the others that with books and a good supply of tobacco and food he would be perfectly happy, however they were understandably anxious to leave him alone.
“I worked out that, with the little food we had bought, I could last out alone for five months. As I had frostbite in my toes, I had no wish to make the journey back. So I decided to stay on my own and keep the station going”. |
August’s courageous offer was finally accepted and he was left on 5th December 1930. He was to remain alone, marooned in his tent on the featureless ice plateau for 149 days and eventually becoming trapped and buried under the snow for six weeks, until he was rescued, on 5th May 1931. |
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THE BASE
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Hanging in the base camp hut above the door, was a piece of polished wood painted with a verse by Masefield, presented to the expedition by Admiral Sir William Goodenough, President of the Royal Geographical Society – these were the lines on it;
The power of man is as his hopes.
In the darkest night, the cocks are crowing.
With the sea roaring and the wind blowing.
Adventure. Man the ropes.
(Masefield)
BASE HUT IN SPRING
INUIT FAMILY 1930
 
SLEDGING RATIONS
BASE HUT IN WINTER
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