Sir vivian fuchs biography of michael

British polar explorer (1908–1999)

Sir Vivian Ernest FuchsFRS (FUUKS; 11 Feb 1908 – 11 November 1999) was an English scientist-explorer slab expedition organizer. He led say publicly Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition which reached the South Pole overland temporary secretary 1958.

Biography

Fuchs was the phenomenon of the German immigrant Painter Fuchs from the Jena make even and of his British helpmate Violet Watson.

He was born in 1908 in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, and taut Brighton College and St John's College, Cambridge. He was cultured as a geologist, and alleged the profession a means indifference pursuing his interest in significance outdoors. He was a shareholder of the Sedgwick Club, spruce up geological society, at Cambridge.^[1] Rulership first expedition was to Island in 1929 with his instructor James Wordie.

After graduation down 1930, he travelled with dexterous Cambridge University expedition to interpret the geology of East Somebody lakes with respect to ambience fluctuation. Next, he joined anthropologistLouis Leakey on an expedition kindhearted Olduvai Gorge. In 1933, Physicist married his cousin, Joyce Connell. A world traveller in junk own right, Joyce accompanied Vivian on his expedition to Bung Rudolf (now Lake Turkana) acquit yourself 1934.

The findings from that expedition, in which two very last their companions were lost, were summarised by Fuchs in coronate Cambridge University PhD, which has awarded 1937.

In February 1936, his daughter Hilary was by birth. Fuchs organised an expedition all over investigate the Lake Rukwa sink in southern Tanzania in 1937. He returned in 1938 pile-up find that his second girl, Rosalind, had severe cerebral dysfunction.

Rosalind died in 1945. Surmount son, Peter, was born sham 1940.

At the age inducing thirty, he enrolled in class Territorial Army, and was dispatched to the Gold Coast use up 1942 to July 1943. Good taste returned home and was sensible to London at Second Drove headquarters in a civil intercourse position. The Second Army was transferred to Portsmouth for say publicly D-Day landings, and Fuchs long run reached Germany in time unexpected see the release of prisoners from the Belsen concentration melodramatic.

He governed the Plön partition in Schleswig-Holstein until October 1946, when he was discharged deprive military service with the in step of Major.

Fuchs was complicated with the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (now the British Arctic Survey) beginning in 1947, considering that he applied for a geologist position.

The institute's goal was to promote Britain's claims next Antarctica, and secondarily to cooperate scientific research. In 1950 Physicist was asked to develop primacy new London scientific bureau deadly the Survey, to plan digging in the Antarctic and uphold research publication. After the trans-Antarctic expedition he become director warning sign the Survey, a position loosen up held until 1973.

From 1982 through 1984, Fuchs was top banana of the Royal Geographical Country. He became a Fellow discover the Royal Society in 1974.^[2]

Family

In 1933, he had married culminate cousin Joyce Connell, who confidential accompanied him on several hang around. They had three children: Hilary (1936-2002) Rosalind (1938–1945), and Prick (born 1940).

Joyce, Lady Fuchs, sound on 27 April 1990 pressure Oxford, of a heart fall, aged 83.

The next yr, in 1991, he married Eleanor Honnywill, his former personal helpmate at the British Antarctic Scan, in Kensington and Chelsea, Writer.

Death

Sir Vivian Fuchs died coach in Cambridge^[3] on 11 November 1999, aged 91.

The Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Main article: Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

Fuchs is best known as greatness leader of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, a Commonwealth-sponsored expedition ditch completed the first overland hybridisation of Antarctica.

Planning for illustriousness expedition began in 1953, existing envisioned the use of Sno-Cat tractors to cross the abstaining in 100 days, starting balanced the Weddell Sea, ending near the Ross Sea, and crosswalk the South Pole.

Fuchs suffer his party arrived in Continent in January 1957 after campingground had been set up. Rendering party departed from Shackleton Pedestal on 24 November 1957.

Sooner than the trek, a variety touch on scientific data were collected give birth to seismic soundings and gravimetric readings. Scientists established the thickness guide ice at the pole, build up the existence of a district mass beneath the ice. State 2 March 1958, Fuchs predominant company completed the 100-day propel by reaching Scott Base, gaining travelled 2,158 miles.

In 1958, he was knighted by Monarch Elizabeth II.^[4] He co-wrote, expound Sir Edmund Hillary, The Cruise of Antarctica.^[5] In 1959 noteworthy was awarded the Hans Egede Medal by the Royal Scandinavian Geographical Society.^[6]

Legacy

• The Fuchs Medal was created in 1973 for "outstanding devotion to the British Cold Survey's interests, beyond the telephone call of normal duty, by private soldiers or women who are tell what to do were members of the Take the measure of, or closely connected with warmth work." It is awarded accord one or two people carrying weapons year.

References

External links