Following the death of Sir Edmund Hilary, who died on 11th January 2008, Terry Rogers, our Archivist, has been unearthing some Old Marlburian artefacts related to this most famous Everest expedition.

The expedition was led and organised by Lord Hunt (C2 1924-28) who organised the team and equipment and made all the necessary scientific preparations. Famously, Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay were the first men ever to reach the summit.

The following letter was received on June 1st:

MOUNT EVEREST EXPEDITION
c/o British Embassy
KATMANDU.
NEPAL

May 11th, 1953

Dear CORNWALL,

I am writing to let you know that an O.M. "dinner" was held at Camp IV on May 2, `53. O.M.s present were Col. H. J. C. Hunt, CBE, DSO, Dr M. P. Ward, Major C. G. Wylie. Guests were Dr R. C. Evans, T. D. Bourdillon. Owing to a blizzard the dinner had to be eaten in our separate tents. The menu was as follows:

Lean Pemmican Soup a la Bovril
Luncheon Meat a la W.D., with Carrots
Coffee

Owing to the circumstances no speeches were made, but the O.M.s present send their best wishes to all at M.C.

Yours sincerely,

C.G.Wylie

(The O.M.s on the expedition asked that an annual and perpetual half-holiday be granted on May 29th. The next time that this date falls on a fag-day is in 1957!)

Archivist`s Note:

The Marlburian names mentioned above were at the College as follows:

H. C. J. Hunt: C2 1924 - 1928

M. P. Ward: B2 1938 - 1943

C. G. Wylie: B3 1933 - 1937

"CORNWALL" was the then Secretary of The Marlburian Club. Alan (aka "Froggy") E. E. Cornwall (C2 1912-17) was a beak at Marlborough College from 1925 until 1958.

A photograph of the key expedition members after their success. The O.M.s are located as follows:

Hunt: middle of front row, with Tenzing on his right (as we look at the photo)

Wylie: extreme right hand end of front row, on the other side of Tenzing

Ward: extreme left of the 4 men in the middle row. Sir Edmund Hillary - who has just died in New Zealand - is the 2nd man from the left in the middle row, almost directly behind Hunt.

It is worth noting that the "perpetual" half-holiday, which was granted regularly on the Friday afternoon preceding Prize Week-End, ceased to be given once Prize Day was moved to the very end of the Summer Term!

A letter from John Hunt to Tommy Garnett, then the Master of the College, dated 29th June, 1953 and asking for the half-holiday!