Obituary: Drummond Matthews

In 1955-57 I shared a small lab with Drummond Matthews at the FIDS base on Signy Island in the South Orkneys, writes W. L. N. Tickell.

Bob White's obituary [1 August] was rather dismissive of the Antarctic experience. Matthews quickly became a resourceful and resolute polar traveller and his knowledge of Coronation Island was equalled only by that of his companion and surveyor, Douglas Bridger. In the southern winter of 1956 fast ice did not form in the South Orkneys, so it was not possible to sledge across the sea, but Matthews manhandled sledges over glaciers and mountains during three expeditions on Coronation Island. Matthews Island was named after him.

Before his PhD Drum Matthews had already been the senior author of a FIDS publication that today remains a major work on the geology of the South Orkney Islands.