Grass Island, South Georgia
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Grassholm, South Georgia
Grass Island (54°9′S 36°40′W) is a conspicuous island
lying across the entrance to Stromness Harbour in Stromness Bay
, South Georgia. It was known as "Mutton Island" as early as 1912, but since 1920 the name Grass Island has been consistently used.
On the 22 and 23 April, 1982, after a British SBS
team were driven back by snow at Cumberland East Bay
, the SAS
was landed on Grass Island from HMS Antrim
, and launched their attack on Argentine positions from here.
In 2000, the island became rat
-free after a team from New Zealand
helped in an extermination.
Grassholm, South Georgia
Grassholm is an island 1 mile south of Frida Hole, along the south coast and near the west end of South Georgia. The name "Em Island" was given for this feature, probably by DI personnel who surveyed this coast in 1926. The South Georgia Survey, 1951-52, reported that this feature is known to...
Grass Island (54°9′S 36°40′W) is a conspicuous island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
lying across the entrance to Stromness Harbour in Stromness Bay
Stromness Bay
Stromness Bay is a bay wide, entered between Cape Saunders and Busen Point on the north coast of South Georgia.Stromness Bay, like Leith Harbour takes its name from a location in Scotland, Stromness, on the Orkney Mainland...
, South Georgia. It was known as "Mutton Island" as early as 1912, but since 1920 the name Grass Island has been consistently used.
On the 22 and 23 April, 1982, after a British SBS
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
team were driven back by snow at Cumberland East Bay
Cumberland East Bay
Cumberland East Bay is a bay forming the eastern arm of Cumberland Bay, South Georgia. It is entered between Sappho Point and Barff Point, where it is nearly 3 miles wide, and extends 8 miles in a southeast direction. This feature was surveyed by the Swedish Antarctic Expedition, 1901-04, who...
, the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
was landed on Grass Island from HMS Antrim
HMS Antrim (D18)
HMS Antrim was a County-class destroyer of the Royal Navy launched on 19 October 1967. In the mid-1970s, the Royal Navy removed 'B' turret and replaced it with four Exocet launchers.-Falklands Conflict:...
, and launched their attack on Argentine positions from here.
In 2000, the island became rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
-free after a team from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
helped in an extermination.
See also
- Composite Antarctic Gazetteer
- List of antarctic and sub-antarctic islands
- List of Antarctic islands north of 60° S
- SCARScientific Committee on Antarctic ResearchThe Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science . It was established in February 1958 to continue the international coordination of Antarctic scientific activities that had begun during the International Geophysical Year of 1957-58...