ZS2MI 1948 Marion Island

Operator: John A. Bennetts

The first ham radio activities from Marion Island in 1948 by 2 operators.

ZS2MI 1948 Harry Hawkins and ZS2MI 1948 J. A. Bennetts

The radio technician Hawkins and the radio operator Bennetts were part of the first Marion Team (Feb to Aug 1948) led by Allan B. Crawford to establish the first meteorological and a wireless station on Marion Island soon after the formal annexation of the island group by South Africa. Crawford had also hired six volunteers from Tristan da Cunha to join the expedition on account of their skill as boatmen, among them Arthur Repetto.

Allan B. Crawford (1912-2007) was a British surveyor and meteorologist who was also engaged in several activities on Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island, and Bouvet Island. In his book "Tristan da Cunha and the Roaring Forties" (Edinburgh & London: Charles Skilton Ltd.; Cape Town: David Philip, 1982) he described this Marion Island episode in detail, where he mentions both radio operators as "radio technician [...] C.O.Hawkins from Grahamstown" and "radio operator J.A.Bennetts of Vyrheid" from South Africa (p.101), respectively. Hawkins was also called by him "Hawkie" (p.106).

Crawford also spent a few words on the radio traffic on Marion Island after the completion of the buildings: "Soon Hawkins had the radio station functioning efficiently and Bennetts started transmitting met reports. Radio contact was made with an Australian scientific expedition establishing themselves on Heard Island, some fifteen hundred miles east-south-east [...] and before long they challenged us to a game of chess! This lasted some months, each side signalling a move every other day. We also exchanged mets daily and contact with the scientists was invaluable in many ways: for one thing I received a great deal of help in identifying our bird species." (p.136) "In the evenings, with the aid of my theodolyte, I made observations on stars to determine latitude and longitude, signalling my results to Mr. Dovers [= Robert (Bob) Dovers, a surveyor] on Heard Island who accurately calculated our position as being 46° 52' 33.9'' south and 37° 51' 31.8'' east." (p.137) The radio operator on Heard Island in 1948 was Alan Campbell-Drury (1918-1994), VK3ACD, who told Tim Bowden in his interview in 1987 (http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-395710013): "We had a set of chessmen, and we used to play chess with another weather station on Marion Island, South Africa, and we'd make one move a night".

As for the names of the ZS2MI operators:

1) Hawkins: According to Crawford "C.O.Hawkins", with the nickname "Hawkie". The QSL card, printed by Fritz in Joliet (IL), shows his name as "Harry Hawkins".

2) Bennetts: The front of the QSL shows his name as "J.A.Bennetts"; on the reverse side it is signed with "John"; therefore "John A. Bennetts" can be assumed as his name.

The wireless building, probably with Hawkins and Bennetts in the doorway. The photo probably mirror-inversed.

The Met Office, probably with team members Hawkins and Bennetts.

Marion Island Base 1948 in winter with Tristan House, Marion House, and the Met Office.

The original 1948 ZS2MI wireless building. 1956 photo by Cyril Norris.

The site of ZS2MI with the Bob Rand peak in background. 1973 photo by Dane Gerneke.

QSL, Info courtesy of Norbert Maibaum
Photos used with permission from Antarctic Legacy Archive