McMullin Island is a rocky 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...

, 0.3 nautical miles (0.6 km) long, lying between Shirley and Kilby Islands in the south part of the entrance of Newcomb Bay

Newcomb Bay

Newcomb Bay is a sheltered bay about 1 mile in extent, between Clark Peninsula and Bailey Peninsula in the Windmill Islands. First mapped from U.S. Navy Operation Highjump aerial photographs taken in February 1947. In February 1957, Willis L. Tressler, oceanographer, led a party from the USS...

, in the Windmill Islands

Windmill Islands

The Windmill Islands are an Antarctic group of rocky islands and rocks about wide, paralleling the coast of Wilkes Land for immediately north of Vanderford Glacier along the east side of Vincennes Bay...

. First mapped from air photos taken by U.S. Navy Operation Highjump and Operation Windmill

Operation Windmill

Operation Windmill was the United States Navy's Second Antarctica Developments Project, an exploration and training mission to Antarctica in 1947–1948. This operation was a follow up to the First Antarctica Development Project known as Operation Highjump. The expedition was commanded by Commander...

 in 1947 and 1948. Named by the Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names

The Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names is an advisory committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names responsible for recommending names for features in Antarctica...

 (US-ACAN) for John P. McMullin, air crewman with U.S. Navy Operation Windmill which established astronomical control in the area in January 1948.