ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XI 



me with a number of anecdotes about the ship during their 

 respective periods in command. 



Among others who have helped me with material and given 

 encouragement are Vice- Admiral Sir John Edgell, K.B.E., C.B., 

 F.R.S,, Captain R. M. Southern, R.N.; Captain G. D. Tancred, 

 D.S.C., Royal Australian Navy; Captain H. Menzies, R.N., 

 Captain C. C. Lowry, R.N., Commander C. Sabine, O.B.E., 

 R.N., Commander R. Bill, D.S.O., R.N., Commander R. T. 

 Tripp, R.N., Lieutenant-Commander E. E. Croome, R.N., 

 Commander D. L. Gordon, R.N., Commander D. N. Penfold, 

 D.S.C., R.N., Commander J. C. Grattan, D.S.C. and Bar, R.N., 

 Lieutenant-Commander J. A. B. Thomson, R.N., Lieutenant- 

 Commander S. J. Hales, R.N., Lieutenant- Commander G. J. B. 

 Simeon, R.N., Lieutenant- Commander J. M. Nicholas, R.A.N. , 

 Chief Petty Officer C. Long, B.E.M., Surveying Recorder First 

 Class, and Petty Officer J. Greenshields, B.E.M., Surveying 

 Recorder First Class. 



Also, I must thank Commander Bill Ashton, D.S.C, R.N., 

 who throughout many years' friendship has told me countless 

 amusing yams, many of them about Challenger, in which he 

 served as Navigating Officer and later as her last Commanding 

 Officer. 



To these must be added Mr. R. J. Crowford and Mr. C. T. 

 Laws, formerly Royal Marines serving in Challenger, who are now 

 back in their civilian employment at the Hydrographic Supplies 

 Establishment at Taunton, and who told me much of their work 

 and play in the old ship, during one cold snowy night when we 

 were sheltering together in the bar of the Castle Hotel, Taunton. 

 Mr. Crowford prepared the maps and sketches for this book. 



To Dr. Tom Gaskell and Dr. John Swallow I must give very 

 great thanks — they showed me that there is much to be found out 

 about the bed of the ocean apart from its mere depth below the 

 surface. They never tired of answering my layman's questions 

 about their scientific experiments, and many a night watch I 

 passed away in Tom's company as he described his theories of 

 the deeps. Dr. Swallow took most of the photographs used to 

 illustrate the World Voyage. 



I have to thank Mr. G. B. Stigant, O.B.E., late Chief Civil 

 Hydrographic Officer in the Hydrographic Department of the 



