THE DIARIES OF FRANK HURLEY 1912–1941 THE DIARIES OF FRANK HURLEY 1912–1941 Edited by Robert Dixon and Christopher Lee Anthem Press An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company www.anthempress.com This edition fi rst published in UK and USA 2011 by ANTHEM PRESS 75-76 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK and 244 Madison Ave. #116, New York, NY 10016, USA © 2011 Robert Dixon and Christopher Lee editorial matter and selection The moral right of the authors has been asserted. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Hurley, Frank, 1885–1962. The diaries of Frank Hurley, 1912–1941 / edited by Robert Dixon and Christopher Lee. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-85728-774-8 (hardcover : alk. paper) – ISBN 978-0-85728-775-5 (papercover : alk. paper) 1. Hurley, Frank, 1885–1962–Diaries. 2. Explorers–Biography. 3. Photographers–Biography. 4. Endurance (Ship) 5. Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–1917) 6. World War, 1914–1918–Campaigns–Pictorial works. 7. World War, 1939–1945–Campaigns–Pictorial works. 8. Antarctic–Discovery and exploration–British. 9. Papua New Guinea–Description and travel. 10. Middle East–Description and travel. I. Dixon, Robert. II. Lee, Christopher. III. Title. G585.H87A3 2011 910.92–dc22 [B] 2011007393 ISBN-13: 978 0 85728 774 8 (Hbk) ISBN-10: 0 85728 774 5 (Hbk) ISBN-13: 978 0 85728 775 5 (Pbk) ISBN-10: 0 85728 775 3 (Pbk) This title is also available as an eBook. Contents List of Illustrations vii Introduction xi Acknowledgements and Notes on the Text xxxix 1. Sledging Diary, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1 (November 1912– January 1913) 2. The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition Diary 11 (November 1914–April 1917) 3. The Great War Diary 59 (August 1917–August 1918) 4. Tour Diary – In the Grip of the Polar Pack-Ice 139 (December 1919–January 1920) 5. The Torres Strait and Papua Expedition Diaries 151 (December 1920–August 1921) 6. The Papua Expedition Diary 187 (August 1922–January 1923) 7. The World War II and Middle East Diaries 229 (September 1940–October 1941) Index 253 v List of Illustrations Front Cover Frank Hurley. Troops of the First Australian Division near Hooge, Ypres. 5 October 1917. AWM E00833 Back Cover Unknown photographer. Jerusalem: Captain Frank Hurley and Ron Williams shooting fi lm on Mt Scopus towards the Mt of Olives. 13 November 1940. AWM 004131 Figure 1.1 Frank Hurley. The Aurora (Australasian Antarctic Expedition). 1911–1913. nla.pic-vn3125706 113 Figure 1.2 Frank Hurley. Midwinter dinner, Adelie Land. 21 June 1912. ML Home and Away – 36078 113 Figure 1.3 Frank Hurley. A Blizzard (Antarctica). 1912. nla.pic-an24615776 114 Figure 1.4 Frank Hurley. 301 Mile Camp: Eric ‘Azzi’ Webb and Robert Bage in view, southern sledge party. December 1912. ML Home and Away – 37836 114 Figure 1.5 Frank Hurley. Frank Hurley in Burberrys. November–December 1912. ML Home and Away – 37849 115 Figure 2.1 Frank Hurley. Grytviken Whaling Station, Prince Edward Cove, South Georgia. 5 November–4 December 1914. nla.pic-an23478495 116 Figure 2.2 Frank Hurley. The wake of the Endurance through the thin ice in the Weddell Sea. 1 January 1915. nla.pic-an23478078 116 Figure 2.3 Frank Hurley. Frank Hurley with camera on ice in front of the bow of the trapped Endurance in the Weddell Sea. Winter 1915. nla.pic-an23478309 117 vii THE DIARIES OF FRANK HURLEY 1912–1941 Figure 2.4 Frank Hurley. The Endurance in the Antarctic winter darkness, trapped in the Weddell Sea. 27 August 1915. nla.pic-an23478503 118 Figure 2.5 Frank Hurley. Frank Hurley left, and Sir Ernest Shackleton right, in front of their small tent at Patience or Ocean Camp, Weddell Sea. November – December 1915. nla.pic-an24039565 118 Figure 2.6 Frank Hurley. The Landing on Elephant Island. 15 April 1916. nla.pic-an24039590 119 Figure 3.1 Frank Hurley. The First Australian Siege Battery near Comines Canal, Ypres. 12 September 1917. AWM E01918 120 Figure 3.2 Unknown photographer. Frank Hurley, Australian offi cial photographer with his 35 mm cinecamera, probably a Debrie, and assistant. 14 September 1917. AWM E01995 120 Figure 3.3 Frank Hurley. Ruins of the Cloth Hall and the Cathedral at Ypres. 8 October 1917. AWM E01117 121 Figure 3.4 Frank Hurley. Members of an Australian fi eld artillery brigade, Chateau Wood, Ypres salient. 27 October 1917. AWM E01220 122 Figure 3.5 Frank Hurley. The First Australian Light Horse Brigade passing over the steep sand hills at Esdud. 10 January 1918. AWM B01510P 122 Figure 3.6 Frank Hurley. Australian Light Horse on the march in Jerusalem. January 1918. AWM B01619 123 Figure 3.7 Frank Hurley. Observer, pilot and Bristol Fighter F2B aircraft No 1 Squadron AFC. Pilot left is Captain Ross McPherson Smith. 25–28 February 1918. AWM P03631.013 123 Figure 3.8 Frank Hurley. ‘The Raid’, also titled ‘Over the Top’ and ‘A Hop Over’. Composite photograph. May 1918. AWM E05988A 124 Figure 5.1 Frank Hurley. Torres Strait types. 1921. nla.pic-vn3313709 125 Figure 5.2 Frank Hurley. Murray Island dancers. December 1920–January 1921. nla.pic-vn3313864 125 viii List of Illustrations Figure 5.3 Frank Hurley. Mabuiag. January–February 1921. nla.pic-vn3314129 126 Figure 5.4 Frank Hurley. On the Opi river. 21–22 April 1921. nla.pic-vn3359871 126 Figure 5.5 Frank Hurley. Mission Road extension beyond Ononge. 1921. 8 July 1921. nla.pic-vn3355927 127 Figure 5.6 Frank Hurley. Scenes at Ononge. 16 July 1921. nla.pic-vn3356000 128 Figure 6.1 Frank Hurley. Captain Frank Hurley’s Pearls and Savages title. n.d. nla.pic-an23381987 129 Figure 6.2 Frank Hurley. The two seaplanes at anchor at Elavala Village, Port Morseby. 11 September 1922. AM VV3108 129 Figure 6.3 Frank Hurley. A glimpse of the holy of holies Kau Ravi, Kaimare. 8 October 1922. nla.pic-an23382005 130 Figure 6.4 Frank Hurley. Presentation of pig to the Seagull, Kaimare. 11 October 1922. AM VV3137 130 Figure 6.5 Frank Hurley. Sailing up the Fly River. November 1922. nla.pic-vn 4853829 131 Figure 6.6 Frank Hurley. A canoe with its complement of warriors, Lake Murray. November 1922. nla.pic-vn 4853856 132 Figure 6.7 Frank Hurley. Vaieki, the coxswain in one of the giant fi elds of lotuses, Lake Murray. 24 November 1922. nla.pic-an23382099 132 Figure 6.8 Frank Hurley. The interior of the Great Dubu Daima of Urama. 6–9 January 1923. nla.pic-an23381999 133 Figure 7.1 Damien Parer. Imperial Airways Short C Class Flying Boat Circe, Lake Tiberias. 12 September 1940. AWM 003151/12 134 Figure 7.2 Frank Hurley. The Photographic Unit examines the wreck of an Italian plane near Bardia. 27 December 1940. AWM 005280 134 Figure 7.3 Frank Hurley. AIF in Italian medium tanks captured at Bardia. 23 January 1941. AWM 005042 135 ix