Detaille Island is a small island off the northern end of the

Arrowsmith Peninsula Arrowsmith Peninsula () is a cape about long on the west coast of Graham Land, west of Forel Glacier, Sharp Glacier and Lallemand Fjord, and northwest of Bourgeois Fjord, with Hanusse Bay lying to the northwest. It was surveyed by the Falkland ...

Graham Land Graham Land is the portion of the Antarctic Peninsula that lies north of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This description of Graham Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between the British Antarctic Place-names Committee and ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest contine ...

. From 1956 to 1959 it was home to "Base W" of the

British Antarctic Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic on ...

and closed after the end of the

International Geophysical Year The International Geophysical Year (IGY; french: Année géophysique internationale) was an international scientific project that lasted from 1 July 1957 to 31 December 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific ...

(IGY). It is now often visited by Antarctic cruise ships but is otherwise unoccupied. Thanks to the men's hasty departure and the necessity that they take little with them, Base W is an eerily preserved time capsule of 1950s Antarctic life. The base had been intended to host dog-sledging survey parties which would cross the sea ice to the nearby Antarctic Peninsula, but the ice was dangerously unstable. When Base W was vacated, heavy sea ice prevented resupply ship ''Biscoe'' from approaching closer than , despite the assistance of two U.S. icebreakers. So the men were forced to close up the base, load sledges with only their most valuable gear and use dog teams to reach the ship.

Station W

Station W was established in 1956 as a British

research station Research stations are facilities where scientific investigation, collection, analysis and experimentation occurs. A research station is a facility that is built for the purpose of conducting scientific research. There are also many types of resear ...

primarily for survey, geology and meteorology and to contribute to the

in 1957. It consists of a hut and associated structures and outbuildings, including a small emergency storage building, bitch and pup pens,

anemometer In meteorology, an anemometer () is a device that measures wind speed and direction. It is a common instrument used in weather stations. The earliest known description of an anemometer was by Italian architect and author Leon Battista Alberti ( ...

tower, and two tubular steel

radio masts Radio masts and towers are typically tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. There are two main types: guyed and self-supporting structures. They are among the tallest human-made ...

. As a relatively unaltered research station of the late 1950s, it provides a reminder of the science and living conditions that existed when the Antarctic Treaty was first signed in 1959. In 2009, the base was designated a Historic Site and Monument (HSM 83), following a proposal by the United Kingdom to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting. Artefacts include a Hoover washing machine with instruction manuals, jackets and longjohns, a calendar from December 1957, survey books, astronomical observation logs, radio communication equipment, numerous books, dozens of paint-size cans of Scotch oats, bottles of Heinz mayonnaise, and empty bottles of gin and whisky. Detaille Island is maintained by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust.United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust
/ref> The organization works to conserve Antarctic buildings and artefacts, and to promote and encourage the public's interest in its Antarctic heritage. The normal occupancy of Station W was eight to 10 people, according to an information panel. In addition to the main building, there are two nearby huts. One was used as an emergency store and the other to keep dogs. File:DetailleIsland01.JPG, Detaille Island, Antarctica File:DetailleIsland03.JPG, Kitchen of Base W on Detaille Island File:DetailleIsland24.JPG, Historical marker at Base W on Detaille Island File:DetailleIsland35.JPG, Detaille Island, Antarctica File:DetailleIsland39.JPG, Adelie penguins on Detaille Island File:DetailleIsland41.JPG, Base W on Detaille Island File:DetailleIsland52.JPG, Tourists visit Detaille Island

References

External links

Antarctic Treaty Visitor Site GuideAntarctic Heritage Trust Information SheetAntarctic Heritage Trust - Detaille Blog
{{Historic Sites and Monuments in Antarctica, state=collapsed Islands of Graham Land Loubet Coast Historic Sites and Monuments of Antarctica Tourism in Antarctica Former populated places in Antarctica

Station W

See also

References

External links