Seventy years after the end of World War II, the full story of Britain's
secret Antarctic expedition has still never been told. Launched in 1943,
Operation Tabarin was an expedition to secretly establish bases, keep a
watchful eye on German and Japanese activities, and curb opportunistic
Argentinian incursions.
Ivan Mackenzie Lamb was the expedition's botanist but, until now, his
narrative has never been published. His account provides a fascinating
insight into this top secret military operation. He was a member of the
naval party that established three manned bases, he remained in the
field throughout the operation's two-year duration and took part in all
three major sledging expeditions.
After the war, he used his diary to complete a vivid story of his time
in Antarctica. It is a key eyewitness account and has been illustrated
with contemporary photos and expedition maps.
Operation Tabarin is without doubt one of the most significant
expeditions of what might be described as the 'post-Heroic' phase of
Antarctic exploration; ultimately it would develop into the British
Antarctic Survey, arguably the most important and enduring of all
government-sponsored programs of research in the Antarctic. Operation
Tabarin also set in train a series of events that would lead,
ultimately, to the Falklands War of 1982.
