Interview of William H. Littlewood by Dian O. Belanger

• Main Author: Littlewood, William H.
• Other Authors: Belanger, Dian Olson, 1941-
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program 2009
• Subjects: Oceanographers > Arctic regions > Interviews; Operation Deep Freeze; Oral history; Arctic regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Polar regions > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Antarctica > Discovery and exploration > Interviews; Littlewood; William H. > Interviews; Adare; Antarctic; Arctic; Edisto; Hallett; Petty; Royds; Southern Ocean; The Antarctic; Weddell; Weddell Sea; Antarc*; Antarctica; Icebreaker
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/36755

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. Bill Littlewood, a civilian oceanographer in the Navy Hydrographic Office since 1949, had worked off an icebreaker in the Arctic when he learned about the IGY and agreed to participate in a six-month Antarctic expedition in Deep Freeze I (1955-56). In the three subsequent seasons, DF II, III, and IV, he was the senior oceanographer in charge of the teams on all four icebreakers operating in the Southern Ocean-one oceanographer, a chief petty officer, and four sailors per ship. Littlewood described the goals, procedures, and findings of the program; with so little data available, almost everything was new and important. He also recalled personal adventures at Capes Adare, Hallett, and Royds, and the Staten Island's difficulties in the Weddell Sea while trying to site Ellsworth Station. He traveled on three icebreakers, Edisto, Staten Island, and Glacier. An exciting professional opportunity in Sweden inter-rupted his sailing on DF 60. National Science Foundation Antarctic Deep Freeze Association