The cross at Petermann Island
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Rick Du Boisson, an English photographer living in Gainesville, Florida has assigned the rights to two photographs of the cross and cairn at Petermann Island which he took whilst touring in the peninsular. Trust Chairman, Rod Rhys Jones, found the pictures on the web when he was looking for family members of Kevin Ockleton who was killed with Ambrose Morgan and John Coll when the sea ice broke up during a field trip in 1983. On finding the photographs on a photographic website, photo.net he followed up Du Boisson's rather distinctive name and contacted the Gainsvilled Camera Club where he was listed as a member.
Rick replied within a couple of hours to say, "I'm so pleased that these lost men are not to be forgotten. It struck me at the time that their cross would slowly disintegrate and without a memorial plaque they would vanish from history forever. When I visited Petermann Island our guide just knew they were three members of the BAS, and being an Englishman, I determined I would find out who they were and post a picture of their memorial that is inaccessable to most. I look forward to dropping in to St. Paul's to see the memorial when it is finished." Rod Rhys Jones commented that it showed the importance of keeping alive the history and memory of those killed whilst exploring the Antarctic. He paid particular thanks to Rick who not only took a particularly affecting photograph but bothered to contact BAS in order to find out who the cross commemorated. However an inscribed plaque was still at the site in 2008 according to this journal.
The plaque reads
ERECTED IN MEMORY OF
JOHN COLL
AMBROSE CHARLES MORGAN
KEVIN PAUL OCKLETON
MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY
LOST ON SEA ICE
AUGUST 1982
JOHN COLL
AMBROSE CHARLES MORGAN
KEVIN PAUL OCKLETON
MEMBERS OF THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY
LOST ON SEA ICE
AUGUST 1982
