Introduction
After WWII Britain wanted to assert their influence over the South Atlantic and strategically use the Falkland Islands to establish a physical presence in that area. The British initiated Operation Tabarin. This was the code name for the British secret operation in 1944 to set up bases in the Falkland Islands Dependencies, at Deception Island, Port Lockroy and Hope Bay; to reinforce territorial claims against Argentina at the time of national and political tension. In 1945 Tabarin’s three bases became permanent and the teams were tasked to continue collecting and analysing geographical information about the region. This physical presence established itself under a new organisation, the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey (FIDS). It ran under the Colonial Office, with the Falkland Islands as the ‘major gateway for FIDS operations’ and a collection point for meteorological and survey data, with Stanley – the capital – at the centre of Antarctic operations. From the 1 January 1962, FIDS was renamed as British Antarctic Survey (BAS).
The BAS Archives established itself in 1977 only following the physical move of the BAS headquarters from the Falkland Islands back to Britain. The collections form part of the National Environment Research Council in Cambridge. To access records more archival material relating to the British Antarctic Survey, please visit their Archives page at: https://www.bas.ac.uk/team/business-teams/information-services/archives/
Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey
SGD-FID-1-1. Financial relations of Colony & Dependencies.pdf14.30 MB
SGD-FID-1-2. UK contribution towards F.I.D.S.pdf3.08 MB
SGD-FID-1-3. Biologist for South Georgia.pdf12.49 MB
SGD-FID-1-4. Dependencies account 1954-1955, Director General Colonial Audit's Report.pdf1.86 MB
SGD-FID-1-5. Employment of personnel by FIDS.pdf1.18 MB
SGD-FID-1-6. Overseas Research Council.pdf960.94 KB
SGD-FID-1-7. Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, programme of work. (map enclosed in back).pdf2.60 MB
SGD-FID-1-8. Colony lands occupied by the Dependencies.pdf451.89 KB
SGD-FID-1-9. British Antarctic Territory.pdf5.67 MB
Meteorological Office
SGD-MET-1-1. Re-staffing of Argentine Meteorological Station, South Orkney Islands.pdf842.19 KB
SGD-MET-1-2. Meteorological observations taken at King Edward Cove South Georgia.pdf3.01 MB
SGD-MET-1-3. Respecting relief of crew of Argentine Meteorological station at South Orkneys.pdf609.01 KB
SGD-MET-1-4. Meteorological Station at Grytviken, South Georgia.pdf213.67 KB
SGD-MET-1-5. Organisation of meteorological base in the Dependencies.pdf10.14 MB
SGD-MET-1-6. South Georgia Met Service.pdf11.48 MB
SGD-MET-1-7. Acting Arrangements South Georgia.pdf954.94 KB