Interview of George Moss by Dian O. Belanger

• Main Author: Moss, George
• Other Authors: Belanger, Dian Olson, 1941-
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2009
• Subjects: Surveyors > Interviews; Operation Deep Freeze; Oral history; Arctic regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Polar regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Antarctica > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Moss; George > Interviews; Antarctic; Arctic; Byrd; Byrd Station; Little America; Okuma Bay; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/36754

The Antarctic Deep Freeze oral history project was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and supported by the Antarctic Deep Freeze Association. The original paper copies and unaltered tapes have been deposited in the library of the National Science Foundation. Surveyor chief and navigator George Moss always claimed that he "was volunteered" for Antarctic duty in Deep Freeze I because of his Arctic experience and cold-weather survival training. He was the operations chief for Little America, the senior enlisted man, and an acknowledged, admired leader beyond official duty. A member of the trail party to find a route to inland Byrd Station, he distrusted the approach of the leader, a "hero" of the old school. On the return by Otter with six others of the party, the plane crashed in bad weather. Moss determined that they were far off-course and knew there were no operable airplanes in camp to search for them, so he insisted, contrary to conventional wisdom, that they walk back via Okuma Bay where seals could provide food. All survived. The following spring, he was a member of the first Byrd tractor train and helped survey and build that camp. National Science Foundation Antarctic Deep Freeze Association