10 June, 2005 News stories

We are delighted to announce that HRH Prince Charles awarded polar medals to members of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on 8 June 2005 at a special ceremony in Buckingham Palace. Awarded previously to famous figures such as Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton; BAS staff Steve Marshall, Steve White and Matt Jobson collected the prestigious medal for ‘service in support of the acquisition of knowledge of Polar regions’. Mike Gloistein and Mark Stewart have also been awarded medals this year.

The polar medal was instituted 100 years ago in 1904 for members of Captain Scott’s first expedition to the Antarctic. Regulations governing the award have been revised and now ‘acquisition of knowledge of Polar regions shall normally be ten years such service to be considered a medal’. However, greater emphasis is now placed on individual service.

BAS Director Professor Chris Rapley CBE said, “We are delighted that our staff are recognised for their contribution to polar science. Studying the polar regions we can understand better the complexities of how the Earth works and how to deal with major issues such as climate change.”