The Great Zaire River Expedition (1974)
Dec 25, 2023 13:46:47 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 25, 2023 13:46:47 GMT 12
Last night I came across some articles in The Press on Papers Past about a huge expedition in 1972 to traverse the entire length of the Zaire River in 1974. It was to commemorate 100 years since Henry Morton Stanley first attempted it.
The 1974 expedition also had a big medical team and scientists in the 150-strong international team who were studying African diseases like River Blindness, and treating remote villagers for all sorts of ailments as they went down the river.
In the 1974 version they were using inflatable boats and a number of New Zealand-built Hamilton Jet boats. There were several Kiwis driving the Jet boats, and there were also Kiwis among the medical team.
Led by the well-known British explorer, Major John Blashford Snell, of the British Army’s Royal Engineers, who had already explored The Blue Nile. The team of 150 explorers were from Britain, Belgium, France, Fiji, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada and Zaire itself.
The Press's articles named the jet boat drivers and crew as Jon Hamilton and his wife Joyce Hamilton, Guy Mannering and his wife, George Davison, Thomas Dunlop, Kim Doble, and Ralph Brown.
Jon Hamilton, leader of the jet boat section, was the son of jet boat builder Sir William Hamilton, and managing director of C. W. F. Hamilton and Company. His wife Joyce Hamilton was also on the team as their cook.
Guy Mannering was a professional photographer and past president of the New Zealand Jet Boat Association. He was to photograph the journey and be one of the people who would film the expedition. His wife's first name is not mentioned, but she accompanied her husband.
George Davison was a naval architect with C. W. F. Hamilton and Company.
Ralph Brown was an American who lived in Queenstown. Kim Doble was an Australian. Not sure about Dunlop.
I then found this episode of Survival, the ITV series, covering the expedition. A good documentary recording the historic expedition.
The 1974 expedition also had a big medical team and scientists in the 150-strong international team who were studying African diseases like River Blindness, and treating remote villagers for all sorts of ailments as they went down the river.
In the 1974 version they were using inflatable boats and a number of New Zealand-built Hamilton Jet boats. There were several Kiwis driving the Jet boats, and there were also Kiwis among the medical team.
Led by the well-known British explorer, Major John Blashford Snell, of the British Army’s Royal Engineers, who had already explored The Blue Nile. The team of 150 explorers were from Britain, Belgium, France, Fiji, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United States, Canada and Zaire itself.
The Press's articles named the jet boat drivers and crew as Jon Hamilton and his wife Joyce Hamilton, Guy Mannering and his wife, George Davison, Thomas Dunlop, Kim Doble, and Ralph Brown.
Jon Hamilton, leader of the jet boat section, was the son of jet boat builder Sir William Hamilton, and managing director of C. W. F. Hamilton and Company. His wife Joyce Hamilton was also on the team as their cook.
Guy Mannering was a professional photographer and past president of the New Zealand Jet Boat Association. He was to photograph the journey and be one of the people who would film the expedition. His wife's first name is not mentioned, but she accompanied her husband.
George Davison was a naval architect with C. W. F. Hamilton and Company.
Ralph Brown was an American who lived in Queenstown. Kim Doble was an Australian. Not sure about Dunlop.
I then found this episode of Survival, the ITV series, covering the expedition. A good documentary recording the historic expedition.
