A thought about Deep Freeze members' photos

[Dave Homewood]

I just had a thought. The USAF and USN have operated from Wigram and Harewood since the 1950s with Operation Deep Freeze.

The Americans living here for the summer ice season would have gotten out and about to see things when not flying to the ice. I wonder how many bought nice cameras at their PX store and took lovely coloured Kodachrome slides and 8mm movies on RNZAF bases of the interesting Kiwi aeroplanes they encountered back in the 1950s, 60s and beyond.

There could possibly be a load of really good photos out there of historic RNZAF and NZ civil aircraft in the albums, slide boxes and cupboards of ex-VX6 members.

[obiwan27]

Feb 28, 2024 22:39:12 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I just had a thought. The USAF and USN have operated from Wigram and Harewood since the 1950s with Operation Deep Freeze.

The Americans living here for the summer ice season would have gotten out and about to see things when not flying to the ice. I wonder how many bought nice cameras at their PX store and took lovely coloured Kodachrome slides and 8mm movies on RNZAF bases of the interesting Kiwi aeroplanes they encountered back in the 1950s, 60s and beyond.

There could possibly be a load of really good photos out there of historic RNZAF and NZ civil aircraft in the albums, slide boxes and cupboards of ex-VX6 members.

Hi Dave,

there's a gallery of images here at the Scott Polar Research Institute site at the University of Cambridge: www.spri.cam.ac.uk/picturelibrary/catalogue/usnaeodf1955-98/gallery/

then there's an interesting US Navy historic document here: www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/Cruisebooks/postwwiicruisebooks/antarctica-cruisebooks/DEEPFREEZE%201959-60.pdf

and here: www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/museums/Seabee/Cruisebooks/postwwiicruisebooks/antarctica-cruisebooks/DEEPFREEZE%20II%20TASK%20FORCE%2043%201956-57.pdf

Maybe an enquiry to the US Navy, or to Operation Deep Freeze on their FB page?

A few other bits I have gleaned from a quick Google search: coffeeordie.com/operation-deep-freeze

s3.amazonaws.com/Antarctica/AJUS/AJUSvIn4/AJUSvIn4p147.pdf
"On the three RNZAF C-130H flights, they transported almost 75,000 pounds of cargo for the United States and New Zealand stations."

www.aetc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2980589/operation-deep-freeze-airmen-in-antarctica/

Lots of photo collections here: www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/search.html?q=Operation+Deep+Freeze

Regards,

Ken