EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region’s history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.

As a blizzard raged outside the cockpit, Capt. James W. Thomas of Masury attempted to land a plane at McMurdo Station in Antarctica for the third time.

When one of the engines failed just 25 miles from the base and temperatures dropped, the crew knew they were in trouble. After spending 13 hours in the air, the C-124 Globemaster plane was running out of fuel and opportunities to land.

On the first attempt, 30 mph winds, heavy ice formations on the plane, and a blizzard that reduced visibility to only 200 feet prevented Thomas from landing. When he attempted to fly to a different base at Hallett Station 400 miles away, another storm forced him to turn back.

With limited visibility and ice continuing to form on the plane, Thomas began his descent for the third time. He successfully maneuvered the plane onto the runway through the storm and all 12 men safely disembarked.

Thomas was no stranger to difficult flying as a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War. After these conflicts, he was stationed at Donaldson Air Base in South Carolina in the late 1950s when the 53d Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS) of the 63d Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) was brought in to assist with Operation Deep Freeze III. This was the third segment of Operation Deep Freeze, a mission to support U.S. scientists in and around Antarctica.

Scientists had been living on research bases in Antarctica since the early 1900s, but a large push to do more came during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) from July 1957 to December 1958. This was a global effort to study the physics and geography of earth and space during a time of intense solar activity.

In Antarctica alone, 12 countries established 56 research sites on the continent. These countries signed a treaty saying that they would not use Antarctica for military efforts, though military personnel were permitted to be there for research and support purposes. During the IGY, research teams spent time studying geology, glaciology, solar activity, oceanography and other natural sciences. With all this work and very few life-sustaining resources in Antarctica, these scientists needed support, which is why the 63 TCW was there.

The 63 TCW flew C-124s between Christchurch, New Zealand and the McMurdo Sound, as well as other bases in Antarctica. They provided logistical support for the scientists at these bases by transporting supplies, equipment and research between sites. These seemingly routine flights called for especially talented and experienced pilots because of the sub-zero temperatures, sudden blizzards and special landing techniques required for snow and ice. On one interesting mission, Thomas even flew with the flightless bird of Antarctica.

During Operation Hitchhiker, he turned the heat off in the plane’s cabin and flew penguins from Antarctica to Christchurch where another captain took them the rest of the way to the west coast of the United States. From there, the penguins were transported to John Hopkins University and zoos in Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California.

Out of the 36 Adélie penguins and 30 Emperor penguins, one Adélie penguin died and two laid eggs during the 10,000-mile trip. With Trumbull County’s significant contributions to air and space travel, it is not much of a surprise that a man from Masury flew in Antarctica and with penguins.