A rare Posthumous Polar Medal (E11R) Clasp Antarctic 1964-5, (1 of 3 awards with this clasp) David (‘Dai’) Peter Wild, a surveyor, killed instantly in Heimefrontfjella in 1965 along with his two team members when their motorised Musteg sledge disappeared into a crevasse some 290 miles from base. Their bodies could not be recovered. He is commemorated on a plaque on Survey Point , Vardeklettane and ‘Wildskorvene’ named in his honour. 1 of only 26 posthumous awards

“On their first day, they covered only 12 miles, held up by difficult terrain associated with an ice fall 10 miles from Pyramid Rock. Then the going was excellent, although low drifting snow obscured the surface and it was agreed to travel late. At eight o’clock in the evening, having made 38 miles, the accident happened.

“Wild, Bailey and Wilson were in the Muskeg. The dog team, with Ross sitting on the sledge, was attached to the last of two tractor sledges, thus 30 yards behind his companions. While he happened to be glancing backwards his sledge suddenly stopped moving. He turned to see the leading sledge tilted up over a yawning hole, and there was no sign of the tractor which hauled it.

“Anchoring himself with rope, he rushed forward and peered down to see the Muskeg jammed in a crevasse more than 100 feet below. There was no immediate response to his continual shouts, but 20 minutes later he heard Bailey’s agonised voice crying out that both Wild and Wilson had been killed, while he himself was badly injured and could not survive.

Poor Ross lowered a rope but Bailey ceased to answer his calls.”

The expedition team returned to the accident spot on October 23 to find that the three occupants of the tractor had been crushed by the cab as it fell between ever-narrowing walls in the crevasse. They were unable to recover their bodies.

Exceptional Polar Medal