Memorial Cross to Eric Platt
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Warren King has written from New Zealand enclosing a photograph of his father Ronald King beside a cross he had made in memory of Eric Platt whilst working as a carpenter in the Falkland Islands. Eric Platt, a geologist based at Admiralty Bay, King George Island, died of a heart attack whiilst in the field in 1948. His death occurred around the same time as the catastrophic fire at Hope Bay, which led to the loss of lives of Oliver Burd and Michael Green.
Warren says that he found the photograph in his father's belongings: he passed away in 2005. He commented that he was responding to the comment on our website that notes, "A memorial cross still stands but the Trustees have not been able to locate a photograph”.
Warren says that he never kept a diary (and this photograph had no further information on the back). "I know he travelled to parts of British Antarctic Territory such as Port Lockroy and to South Georgia (where he repaired the cemetery), but I do not know if he was in the party that put up the plaques."
"Similar plaques were also made at the same time by my father, and another Falkland Island carpenter Stan Bennett, for the graves of Oliver Burd and Michael Green at Hope Bay. Unfortunately I do not posses photos of those. I assume the photo was taken in the Falkland Islands on completion of the plaques."
"I hope this photograph may be of use to the Trust and its supporters."
Thank you Warren for sharing this photograph and your father's story. There may be further information about your father in the Falkland Islands. Hopefully we will find a current photograph of the cross in situ on King George Island.