Eleanor Honnywill ( – 11 April 2003; Biscoe, later Eleanor, Lady Fuchs) was instrumental in supporting the work of

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 ...

(BAS).

Career

Honnywill won the 1975

Fuchs Medal The Fuchs Medal is a medal awarded by The British Antarctic Survey for "''Outstanding devotion to the British Antarctic Survey's interests, beyond the call of normal duty, by men or women who are or were members of the Survey, or closely connected ...

of the

(BAS) in recognition of her service to the BAS and its predecessor the Falklands Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS). She had been secretary to the 1955-58

Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (CTAE) of 1955–1958 was a Commonwealth-sponsored expedition that successfully completed the first overland crossing of Antarctica, via the South Pole. It was the first expedition to reach the South ...

, based in the expedition's London headquarters. In 1958, she moved to FIDS as personal assistant to

Vivian Fuchs Sir Vivian Ernest Fuchs ( ; 11 February 1908 – 11 November 1999) was an English scientist-explorer and expedition organizer. He led the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached the South Pole overland in 1958. Biography Fuchs ...

when he took up the directorship, and worked with him on the expedition's papers and his ''Of Ice and Men'' (1982, Anthony Nelson; ), the history of the FIDS and BAS. Honnywill Peak in the

Shackleton Range The Shackleton Range is a mountain range in Antarctica. Rising at Holmes Summit to , it extends in an east–west direction for about between the Slessor and Recovery glaciers. The range was named after Sir Ernest Shackleton, leader of the Br ...

in Antarctica is named for her. Her book ''The Challenge of Antarctica'' was published in 1969 (Methuen, ) and republished in 1984 (Anthony Nelson, ).

Personal life

She married Captain Richard Buston Honnywill, a naval officer. After his death, and that of Lady Joyce Fuchs in 1990, she married Sir

(1908-1999) on 8 August 1991. ''From The Times, 13 November 1999''

References

2003 deaths British women scientists British Antarctic scientists Women Antarctic scientists Wives of knights {{UK-scientist-stub