Survivors of the Crash of George 1

Operation Highjump — The US Navy Antarctic Developments Program 1946-47

Six men survived the crash of the US Navy Martin PBM-5 Mariner George 1 in Antarctica on December 30, 1946. They were found and rescued by the George 2 and George 3 on on January 11 and 12, 1947.

Captain Henry H. Caldwell

Captain Henry H. Caldwell, 42, a native of Rocklin, California, was skipper of the USS Pine Island. He was onboard George 1 because he wanted to see the Antarctic coast that was the focus of their mission.

Caldwell, Annapolis Class of 1927, had been a star of the 1926 Midshipmen football team. During World War II he commanded Air Group 12 in the Pacific. When he returned to the U.S. following Operation Highjump, he became athletic director at the Naval Academy. He retired as a Rear Admiral after a tour in Jacksonville, Florida, as fleet air commander. Admiral Caldwell died on March 22, 1985, in Ortega Forest, Florida,

Lieutenant (jg) Bill Kearns

Lieutenant (jg) Bill Kearns, 22, co-pilot and navigator, was from Boston, Massachusetts. Bill Kearns had taken part in the Arctic expedition Operation Nanook during the summer of 1946. Bill Kearns now lives in Florida.

Lieutenant (jg) Ralph Paul LeBlanc

Lieutenant (jg) Ralph Paul LeBlanc, 25, pilot and commanding officer, from Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. "Frenchy" LeBlanc, who was badly burned and lost both legs in the crash, was a survivor of the battle of Guadalcanal (1942-1943) and two earlier plane crashes. He died on August 21, 1994.

Chief Photographer’s Mate Owen McCarty

Chief Photographer’s Mate Owen McCarty, 26, from Sonoma County, California.

Owen McCarty wrote about his experiences in an article called "Dead Men's Diary," which was published in the Saturday Evening Post [May 17, 1947].

Aviation Radioman 2nd Class James H. Robbins

Aviation Radioman 2nd Class James H. Robbins, 20, radar operator and second radioman, from San Diego, California. "Robbie" Robbins — who had also taken part in Operation Nanook during the summer before the crash of George 1 — retired from the Navy as a chief in 1965, and lives in Palm Desert, California.

He wrote "Antarctic Mayday" about the crash of George 1.

Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class William G. Warr

Aviation Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class William G. Warr, flight engineer and second crew chief, from Reading, Pennsylvania. Bill Warr died in February 1980.