The British Army Arrives!
13 January 2002

Today we had an unscheduled visit from the British Army Antarctic Expedition (BAAE)! These army men and women are sailing theAntarctic waters on the John Laing, a sailing yacht. One of their party had a medical emergency, so they called at Palmer Station to use the x-ray machine. The injury, a result of a climbing accident, was a broken thumb for Second Lieutenant Sarah Piesse, Royal Engineers. The Palmer doctor and the BAAE doctor were able to set her thumb, and the British Army left after midnight.

The aim of the BAAE is to "explore the Danco Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula by ski and sail in order to record historical, wildlife, and geographical information." They are doing ocean and wilderness sailing, mountaineering, and field studies. You can find out more about this interesting expedition by visiting their website.

Here's the math question: there were openings for 8 people on this expedition (aside from the leaders, the doctor, and the photographer). There were 73 applicants for this chance to go. Approximately what percentage of applicants were selected for the voyage?

The flags are out in welcome for the British Army Antarctic Expedition.	The John Laing in Hero Inlet, with the Palmer Station Zodiac fleet in the foreground.
Major Dick Pattison of the Royal Anglian Regiment	Major Pattison played the bagpipes for us as the British Army Antarctic Expedition departed at midnight.	Lt. Colonel Andy Bristow, Royal Corps of Signals, is one of the expedition leaders, along with Major Dick Pattison, Royal Anglian Regiment, and Major James Harris, Royal Anglian Regiment. Andy Bristow gave us a tour of the yacht. He and the other leaders explained their expedition to us.

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