The End of the Heroic Era-day 3

Sunday 26 March 2017
Sundays programme:
1000  Commemorative Service, St Christopher’s Navy Chapel
1100 Walking tour of the Naval Base; includes US National Science Foundation Antarctic Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in the historic Calliope Dry Dock 1200  Lunch, Vince McGlone Galley
1250 Introduction
1300  “In Shackleton’s Footsteps, Weddell Sea Party 1914-16” – Dick Reaney 1345 “Scott’s Changing Image” – Lesley McTurk
1420 Afternoon Tea
1440  “In the footsteps of Mortimer & Tim McCarthy, Irish seafaring bothers” –Peter McCarthy
1525 “Scott – a personal reflection” – Dan Asquith
Dog Watch Drinks:
1610 Social gathering, “Wine in the Wardroom”, Officers Mess, HMNZS PHILOMEL
Sunday memorial service at the chapel at HMNZS Philomel at the St. Christopher’s Chapel. The chapel was divided in half with 5 foot screens. One end a conventional church, the other end had a small stage, kitchen and set up for the afternoon session of the conference. After a short me memorial service we headed off on walking tour of the Base.

Lesley McTurk speaking  at the Memorial service with the Chaplain seated.

 

Getting our instructions for the walking tour.

 

During the walking tour of the base we saw the US National Science Foundation Antarctic Research Vessel Nathaniel B. Palmer in the historic Calliope Dry Dock.  A repair facility first built in the late 1800s and still in use today. Although with some mods especially to the doors that keep out the sea.

 

The delegates in front of the Nathaniel B. Palmer  and the dry dock.

The Nathaniel B. Palmer  in the dry dock.

 

We all retired to the mess hall a very good lunch. Sailors are very well catered for these days. I had bacon and egg pie and some excellent chips.

Queuing for lunch in the Vince McGlone Galley

 

After lunch we returned to the chapel and finished the last four papers. One given by the grandson one of Scott's Terra Nova sailors whom I met at Scott Base in 1963 (the grandfather that is .

At the end we had our dog watch drinks. These were going to be in the Officer's Mess but as it was raining so the drinks were brought over to the chapel. Near the end there was only the organising committee and 3 of us who had been in the Antarctic in the early 1960s.

 

The stayers.

 

Then realising we were late for our dinner booking we rushed off to the Dixie Restaurant were another from the 1963 winter party joined us. The evening ended with all of us running (walking fast) through torrential rain.