17 Flying to the Pole
Hillary and The Old Firm had reached the South :Pole on January 4 and then been flown back to McMurdo Sound by American Neptune aircraft. Admiral Dufek had offered the flight “in exchange” for the three Ferguson tractors that were badly needed by the South Pole base.On January 18, Dufek arranged to accompany Hillary and a small group of we journalists from the world’s media to meet Fuchs, who was expected to arrive at the South Pole within days.
18 Fuchs and Hillary meet at the Pole
We were a motley handful, enjoying a sunny, minus 25C, mid-summer morning at the South Pole on Monday, January 20, 1958, waiting for the meeting between Sir Edmund Hillary and Dr Vivian Fuchs. As Fuchs swung down from his Sno-Cat Hillary hurried forward: “Hullo Bunny,” he said. “Damn glad to see you Ed,” replied Fuchs as the two shook hands.
19 Filing Purple Prose
We reporters crowded into two weasels and raced back to our tent to hammer out the first takes on our portable typewriters. Filing purple prose was not going to be easy. Radio reception was always unreliable, although the US Navy radio operators had arranged special schedules. In the event it turned into a marathon: writing 50 words, racing 100 metres across the snow to the radio shack, then puffing our way back to complete another 50.
20 A Difficult Take-off
Ed Hillary heaved his considerable frame on top of me, then we both grunted as Admiral Dufek landed on top of him. Underneath me, Commander Merle MacBain, the Admiral’s aide, muttered something about this being a perfect example of the navy’s pecking order. Our Neptune aircraft was attempting a third, desperate, attempt to take off from the South Pole airstrip.
