Only the Best Men, Conquering the Ice: Byrd's Flight to the South Pole

Ashley McKinley, aerial surveyor
and third in command, 1929.
Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7806_2

Personnel list for the Ice Party,
Byrd Antarctic Expedition I, 1928-1930.
Richard E. Byrd Papers, #4552.

The selection of the crew for the expedition was undertaken with careful consideration. In order to meet the goals of the expedition, a variety of men with a variety of skills would be essential. Ultimately, there were 4 pilots, 3 aircraft mechanics, three radiomen, five dog drivers, a doctor, three surveyors, 4 scientists, a tailor, a carpenter, news media experts, a cook and general hands, that totaled 42 men who wintered in Antarctica. In addition, a boy scout was selected prior to the expedition in a national search. Paul Siple was the winning scout, and accompanied not only this expedition, but all of the Byrd’s subsequent Antarctic expeditions. Siple eventually achieved prominence as a scientist in his own right.

Daily life during the long Antarctic night, some of the crew passing the time, 1929. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7806_5	Man hauling sledge in the frigid Antarctic night, 1929. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7809_38.
Dr. Francis Dana Coman, Surgeon and Biologist, 1929. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7813_2.	Carl O. Petersen in the newspaper office at Little America, 1929. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7813_5
The crew of the Eleanor Bolling, 1928. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7810_33.	In the mess hall, Little America, 1929. Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7806_6
1928 letter from Chief Scout Executive James West, inviting boy scout applicants for the Byrd Expedition, Richard E. Byrd Papers, #1196.	Evaluation sheet for Paul Siple, the boy scout selected to accompany the Byrd expedition, 1928, Richard E. Byrd Papers, #1209. The boy scout organization was responsible for selecting the winner.
Paul Siple, 1928, Richard E. Byrd Papers, #7811_43. Siple was only 19 years old when he accompanied the expedition.	Telegram of August 4, 1928, from James West, Chief Scout Executive, to the six boy scouts selected as finalists in the competition to go with Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica, Richard E. Byrd Papers, #4430.