Fuchs, Sir Vivian Ernest

Fuchs, Sir Vivian Ernest (1908- 1999), explorer, b. Freshwater, Isle of Wight, England.

Vivian Fuchs was a geologist and he commanded the British Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1957-58.

The expedition made the first crossing of the Antarctic continent from Shackleton, on the Weddell Sea, to Scott Base, on the Ross Sea.

The team started on 24 November, 1957 using Sno-cats (a large tracked tractor) and other tracked vehicles and reached Scott Base on 2 March, 1958. They covered 2158 miles (3473 km) in 100 days.

Fuchs was knighted and awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.

He was Director of the British Antarctic Survey from 1958-73.

See Vivian Fuchs The crossing of Antarctica