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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Emergency on the Flight Deck

The crew of the ship in a storm trying to secure the helicopters
Description: Painting, Watercolor and Wash on Paper; by Standish Backus; 1956; Framed Dimensions 31H X 39W
Accession #: 88-186-BL
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"A scrambling, heroic effort had to be made on several occasions by the deck force of the icebreaker to save the helicopters, which were breaking loose from their mooring in the mountainous seas between New Zealand and Antarctica. These vital pieces of equipment built by Sikorsky weigh some four tons each and with the ship rolling upwards of fifty degrees had become almost unmanageable and a threat to the lives of all on deck who had to run great risk to secure them from crashing over the side." - Commander Standish Backus

Topic
  • Exploration, Expeditions and Voyages
Document Type
  • Art
Wars & Conflicts
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials