Interview of Donald McLean by Brian Shoemaker

• Main Author: McLean, Donald
• Other Authors: Shoemaker, Brian
• Format: Audio
• Language: English
• Published: Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2008
• Subjects: Arctic regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Polar regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Antarctica > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; McLean; Donald > Interviews; Ronne; Finn; Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE) (1947-1948); Arctic; Antarctic; Byrd; Edith; Jenny; Stonington; Stonington Island; Dodson; Stonehouse; Darlington; Latady; Lassiter; Gutenko; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/30162

Adams, Chuck, pilot, pp. 4-5, 10, 25 Budson, Dick, British physician, pp. 17 Darlington, Harry, pilot, pp. 2-5, 14-16, 18, 22 Darlington, Jenny, wife of Harry, pp. 2-5, 16 Dodson, Bob, pp. 9, 12, 27 Gutenko, Sig, camp cook, pp. 11 Lassiter, Jim, head pilot, pp. 4-5 Latady, Bill, photographer, pp. 3, 27 McClary, Nelson, pp. 2, 9-11, 17, 26 Nickles, Bob, geologist, p. 19 Peterson, Harris-Clichy, expert on cosmic rays, pp. 9, 19 Robertson, Jim, airplane mechanic, p. 3 Ronne, Edith “Jackie,” wife of Finn, pp. 2-6, 16 Ronne, Finn, mentioned throughout document Schlossback, Ike, pilot, pp. 3, 9, 22-24 Stonehouse, Bernard, British ornithologist, p. 7 Thompson, Andy, geophysicist, pp. 2, 11, 19, 21-11 Walton, Kevin, member of British Antarctic team, pp. 7, 17 The media can be accessed here: http://streaming.osu.edu/knowledgebank/byrd/oral_history/Dr_Donald_McLean.mp3 Dr. Donald McLean, a medical doctor and surgeon, participated in the Ronne Antarctic Expedition during 1946 and 1947. After being interviewed by Finn and Jackie Ronne in Washington, D.C., McLean joined the ship in December 1946 for the voyage south to Antarctica. En route he visited Panama, Valparaiso and Punta Arenas. In Chile there was discussion about the wisdom of having two women, Jackie Ronne, and Jenny Darlington, wife of the pilot, Harry, join the expedition. In fact, they did so, and became the first women to over-winter in Antarctica. At first the two women were good friends, but when Finn Ronne demoted Harry Darlington as Chief Pilot of the expedition, even before the ship reached Antarctica, the women’s friendship abruptly ended. Approaching Antarctica, the ship anchored near Stonington Island. Admiral Byrd had established his East Base there previously, although it had since been abandoned, and was later ransacked by the Chileans and Argentines. There were 23 members of the Ronne Antarctic Expedition counting the two women. The British had already established another base just a quarter mile away. It had 13 members, including Bernard ...