The British Trans-Arctic Expedition are at the halfway stage of their journey. The season's sledging programme is over and they are drifting now on an ice floe 350 miles from the North Pole. Their home is a small, prefabricated hut. Here they will spend the long Polar night. Though they have crossed a thousand miles of difficult and often dangerous sea ice, they are behind schedule. Allan Gill, one of the four-man team, has injured his back and may not be able to continue the journey.

Two weeks ago a BBC team returned from T3, a floating ice-station 150 miles from the expedition's base. Prevented by the break-up of sea ice from reaching them, they talked by radio with the expedition's leader, Wally Herbert, who gave his own assessment of their chances.

In the studio to give their views are:
Sir Miles Clifford, Sir Vivian Fuchs and Colonel Andrew Croft three members of the expedition's management committee
Programme introduced by Magnus Magnusson

(Colour)