Ben Carlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ben Carlin
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Carlin in Montreal in 1948
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| Born |
Frederick Benjamin Carlin
27 July 1912 Northam, Western Australia, Australia
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| Died | 7 March 1981 (age 68) Perth, Western Australia, Australia
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| Education | Guildford Grammar School Kalgoorlie School of Mines |
| Occupation | Engineer, soldier |
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| Children | Deirdre Scott Carlin (b. 1964) |
Frederick Benjamin Carlin (born 27 July 1912 – died 7 March 1981) was an amazing Australian adventurer. He was the first person ever to travel all the way around the world in a special vehicle that could go on both land and water! This incredible journey took him ten years.
Ben Carlin was born in Northam, Western Australia. He went to Guildford Grammar School in Perth. Later, he studied mining engineering at the Western Australian School of Mines. After becoming an engineer, he worked in the Western Australian Goldfields. In 1939, he moved to China to work in a coal mine. During World War II, Carlin served in the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. He was in India, Italy, and the Middle East. After the war in 1946, he moved to the United States with his American wife, Elinore.
While in the army, Carlin had a wild idea. He thought he could travel the world in an amphibious vehicle. He suggested to Elinore that they cross the Atlantic Ocean for their honeymoon in a special Ford GPA. This vehicle was an army Jeep that could also float. They named it Half-Safe.
They started their trip in Montreal, Canada. After a few tries, they finally crossed the Atlantic in 1951. From there, they went to Europe. They stopped in Birmingham, England, to earn more money. They started again in 1954, driving through the Middle East to Calcutta, India. After a quick trip to Australia to raise more funds, Elinore returned to the United States. Ben continued the journey with new partners.
He traveled through Southeast Asia and the Far East to Japan. Then, he went to Alaska. After a long tour through the United States and Canada, he and Half-Safe returned to Montreal. They had traveled over 17,000 kilometres (11,000 mi) by sea and 62,000 kilometres (39,000 mi) by land! The whole journey took ten years. After Carlin passed away in 1981, Half-Safe was given to his old school, Guildford Grammar. You can still see it there today.
Contents
Early Life and the Big Idea
Frederick Benjamin Carlin was born on 27 July 1912 in Northam, Western Australia. His mother died when he was four. His father, Frederick Cecil Carlin, was an electrical engineer. When Ben was ten, he went to board at Guildford Grammar School in Perth. After school, he studied mining engineering in Kalgoorlie. He worked in the Western Australian Goldfields for a while. In 1939, he moved to Peking, China, to work for a British coal company.
When World War II began, Carlin joined the British Indian Army. Before going to India, he married Gertrude Plath in 1940. They later separated. Carlin served in many places, including India, Iraq, and Italy. He was promoted to the rank of major. Towards the end of the war, he met Elinore Arone, an American Red Cross nurse. After the war, they moved to Maryland and married in 1948.
The Half-Safe Journey
Getting Ready for Adventure
During the war, armies used many different kinds of vehicles that could go on land and water. One common one was the Ford GPA, a special version of the army Jeep. Carlin saw one of these Jeeps in India. He joked that he could travel the world in it! This idea stayed with him. He suggested to Elinore that they cross the Atlantic Ocean for their honeymoon in a modified GPA.
It was hard, but the Carlins bought a 1942 Ford GPA from a government auction. They paid US$901 for it. The vehicle needed many changes to be ready for the sea. They added a more boat-like front, a rudder, and a bigger cabin. They also put in two extra fuel tanks. Inside, they added a bunk bed and aircraft instruments. They also had a two-way radio. The vehicle was made longer, to 18 feet (5.5 m). Its fuel capacity grew from 12 gallons to 200 gallons. They named their vehicle Half-Safe. This name came from a deodorant slogan: "Don't be half-safe – use Arrid to be sure!"
First Tries and Challenges
The couple started testing Half-Safe in 1947. They had problems with carbon monoxide gas inside the vehicle. They chose Montreal as the official start of their trip. They drove to New York City in late 1947. Their plan was to launch Half-Safe there and cross the Atlantic to the Azores.
Their first attempt to cross the Atlantic was on 16 June 1948. They launched from New York Harbor. People watched, amazed. They went out into the Atlantic at five knots. But they lost radio contact. The United States Coast Guard had to search for them. Five days later, Half-Safe landed 40 miles (64 km) south of New York. They had problems with the steering.
They tried again on 3 July, but had to turn back. This time, a cracked exhaust pipe almost caused them to suffocate. A third try in late July also failed due to mechanical issues and bad seasickness. They tried a fourth time in early August. They got further, almost 200 miles (320 km) off New York. But they lost radio contact again. An oil tanker called New Jersey rescued them. A propeller part had broken, leaving them drifting for ten days. Carlin thought about giving up. But the tanker's captain told him to keep going!
Crossing the Atlantic
After four failed attempts, the Carlins decided to take a break and earn more money. Carlin worked for a marine salvage company in Halifax. Elinore went back to Boston and worked in a law office. They stored Half-Safe in a garage. In mid-1949, they started getting Half-Safe ready again. They added two large fuel tanks that they tied behind the vehicle. These were painted bright yellow so they could be seen easily. They also made other changes to the vehicle.
They launched again in September 1949. But 35 miles (56 km) offshore, both extra fuel tanks were lost. They had to go back to Halifax. Carlin almost gave up, but Elinore convinced him to continue. Over the next six months, they made more changes. The most important was a huge, custom-built fuel tank to be towed behind Half-Safe. This increased their total fuel to 735 gallons! They also carried 30 gallons of water and enough food for six weeks.
The couple left Halifax on 19 July 1950. After 32 days, they arrived at Flores, in the Azores. Their arrival was big news! LIFE magazine wrote a story about their crossing. The journey had its problems. Carlin had to fix the engine several times. They also lost radio contact halfway across. From Flores, they went to Horta, then to Madeira. They got extra fuel from a Portuguese ship. On 23 February 1951, they landed in Cap Juby in Morocco.
From Cap Juby, the Carlins drove north through Morocco to Europe. It was so hot inside the vehicle during the day (up to 170 °F (77 °C)) that they had to drive only at night. They reached Casablanca on 16 March 1951. In mid-April, they arrived in Gibraltar. They sailed across the Strait of Gibraltar. From there, they drove through many European countries. They enjoyed sightseeing. Then, they sailed across the English Channel. They finished the first part of their journey in Birmingham, England, on 1 January 1952.
Europe and the Middle East
The Carlins were tired and low on money. They decided to stay in England to rest. They also needed to repair Half-Safe. It had been badly damaged, especially by Hurricane Charlie. An RAF Group Captain helped with the repairs. To earn money, Half-Safe was shown in department stores across Europe. Carlin also wrote a book about the first half of their trip called Half Safe: Across the Atlantic by Jeep. It sold 32,000 copies and was translated into five languages.
The Carlins started again in early 1955. They arrived in France on 22 April 1955. They drove through Switzerland, northern Italy, and Yugoslavia. In May 1955, Half-Safe got its first flat tire in Belgrade. They continued through Greece and Turkey. They sailed across the Bosporus to Asia Minor. Then they drove through Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan to Calcutta, India. Carlin said driving through Persia was harder than crossing the Atlantic!
In Calcutta, the Carlins decided to ship Half-Safe to Australia. They needed more money, and Carlin wanted to visit his family in Perth. His brother, Tom Carlin, was a captain in the Royal Australian Navy.
Far East and Back Home
Half-Safe's Australian tour began in late October 1955 in Perth. Carlin visited his old school, Guildford Grammar. They then went to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane. Half-Safe was shipped back to Calcutta in January 1956. However, Elinore, Carlin's wife, left the trip in Australia. She was tired of the long travel and seasickness.
Carlin continued his journey alone. First, he sailed from Calcutta to Akyab, Burma. In Akyab, another Australian, Barry Hanley, joined him. They crossed the mountains to the Irrawaddy River. Half-Safe got stuck in mud for two days! After getting free, they went to Rangoon. From Burma, they drove to Bangkok, Thailand, and then to Saigon in Indochina.
From Indochina, Carlin and Hanley sailed to Japan. They stopped at several ports in the South China Sea. In Hong Kong in May 1956, Carlin was surrounded by fans! He arrived in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in early June. From there, he went to Keelung and Okinawa. Carlin and Hanley drove ashore in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, in July 1956. Then they drove to Tokyo. Hanley returned to Australia. Carlin rested and made repairs.
An American journalist, Boyé de Mente, offered to join Carlin for the trip from Japan to Alaska. They left Tokyo on 1 May 1957. The craft got a leak while crossing the Tsugaru Strait. It also hit rocks near Muroran. They reached Wakkanai, Hokkaidō on 12 June 1957.
Carlin wanted to go straight from Wakkanai to Shemya, a small island in the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. Half-Safe had enough fuel for about 21 days. But they didn't make contact in that time. The US Coast Guard started a search. Half-Safe landed on Shemya on 8 July. They had made an unexpected stop in Petropavlovsk in Russia.
From Shemya, Carlin and de Mente sailed to Adak Island, then to Cold Bay, Alaska. They continued along the Aleutian islands to Homer, Alaska, arriving in late August. Carlin and de Mente then drove Half-Safe to Anchorage. De Mente flew home. He later wrote a book about his adventures with Carlin.
Carlin then drove alone to Seattle, arriving in November 1957. While driving the Alaska Highway, he found a collapsed bridge. Other drivers waited for a ferry. Carlin simply drove Half-Safe into the river and crossed to the other side! He continued to San Francisco, where he met his wife Elinore for the first time in two years. Carlin then drove through the United States and back to Canada. He arrived in Toronto on 10 May 1958. Three days later, he reached Montreal, finishing his ten-year journey! He and Half-Safe had traveled 17,780 kilometres (11,050 mi) by sea and 62,744 kilometres (38,987 mi) by land. They passed through 38 countries and over two oceans.
Later Life and Legacy
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After the trip, Half-Safe stayed in the United States. Carlin sometimes showed it with his friend George Calimer, who co-owned the vehicle. Carlin gave talks about his journey. Later, he returned to Perth. Carlin married Cynthia Henderson in 1963. They had a daughter, Deirdre Scott Carlin, born in 1964.
Ben Carlin died in Perth in March 1981 from a heart attack. He was cremated. His second wife, Elinore, who started the journey with him, died in 1996. Carlin left his share of Half-Safe to his old school, Guildford Grammar. He also left money for a scholarship. He had offered the vehicle to the Western Australian Museum, but they didn't have space. The school bought the other share of the vehicle.
The school also published a book called The Other Half of Half-Safe. This book told the story of the second part of Carlin's journey. In 1999, Half-Safe was taken by truck across Australia to Corowa, New South Wales. It was part of a celebration with 16 other amphibious vehicles from World War II. Today, Half-Safe is displayed in a special glass case at Guildford Grammar.
Carlin's money also helped start the Charlotte Carlin Scholarship. It is named after his mother. Guinness World Records officially recognizes Ben Carlin for completing the "first and only circumnavigation by an amphibious vehicle."
Images for kids
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Carlin in Montreal in 1948
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The Carlins sailed past the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor in 1948.
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Crowds greeted the Carlins and Half-Safe in Copenhagen in 1951.
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Carlin and his new partner, Boyé de Mente, leaving Tokyo in May 1957.
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The Half Safe on Display at Guildford Grammar School in August 2020.
