Frederick Benjamin Carlin (27 July 1912 – 7 March 1981) was an Australian adventurer who was the first person to circumnavigate the world in an amphibious vehicle. Born in Northam, Western Australia, Carlin attended Guildford Grammar School in Perth, and later studied mining engineering at the Kalgoorlie School of Mines. After qualifying as an engineer, he worked on the Goldfields before emigrating to China in 1939 to work in a British coal mine. In World War II, Carlin was posted to the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, serving in India, Italy, and throughout the Middle East. After his discharge from service in 1946, he emigrated to the United States with his American wife, Elinore (née Arone).
Sparked by an idea he had whilst in the military, Carlin proposed that the couple honeymoon by crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a modified Ford GPA (an amphibious version of the Ford GPW Jeep), which they named the Half-Safe. Beginning their trip in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the Carlins finally completed the transatlantic crossing in 1951 after unsuccessful attempts. From there, they travelled to Europe, temporarily settling in Birmingham to raise more money. They resumed their journey in 1954, travelling overland through the Middle East before arriving in Calcutta. After a short fundraising trip to Australia, Carlin's wife left to return to the United States. He resumed the journey with new partners, travelling through South-East Asia and the Far East to the northern tip of Japan, and then to Alaska. After an extended tour through the United States and Canada, he and Half-Safe returned to Montreal, having travelled over by sea and by land during the ten-year journey. Following Carlin's death in 1981, Half-Safe was acquired by Guildford Grammar, his old school, where it remains on display.
Early life and military service Frederick Benjamin Carlin was born on 27 July 1912, in Northam, Western Australia, a town in the state's Wheatbelt. His mother, Charlotte Amelia Bramwell, died when he was four,From the archives: a personal glimpse of Ben Carlin – Guildford Grammar School Weekly Bulletin, Week 1, Term 3, 2011. Published 27 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2012. and he was raised by his father, Frederick Cecil Carlin, who was an electrical engineer employed with the Western Australian Government Railways."Newsreel – Personalities – Honeymoon in Jeep " – The Western Mail. Published 19 August 1948. At the age of ten, Carlin was sent to board at Guildford Grammar School in Perth.History: Ben Carlin and the Half Safe Story – Guildford Grammar. Retrieved 1 October 2012. Leaving school in 1929, he enrolled at the School of Mines in Kalgoorlie, where he studied mining engineering. Once he had qualified as an engineer, he worked for a period of time in the surrounding Goldfields region. However, in 1939, he moved to Peking, China, to work for a British coal mining company."Jeep Tourist Has Seen The World " – Advocate. Published 15 January 1948.
Upon the outbreak of World War II, Carlin enlisted in the Indian Army. Before leaving for India, he married Gertrude Plath, a German citizen who had been living in China with her aunt and uncle. The couple wed on 20 April 1940, at Tientsin, although they separated before the end of the war."Family Notices: Marriages" – The Western Mail. Published 20 June 1940. Having originally enlisted at Shanghai, Carlin was later posted to the Madras Sappers in the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. In August 1941, he was promoted to the position of second lieutenant, as part of a number of "emergency commissions" made at the start of the conflict. During the war, Carlin served in India, Iraq, Persia, Palestine, Syria, and Italy,"Round the World In a Jeep " – Advocate. Published 12 January 1948. Retrieved 2 October 2012. and by the conflict's end had been promoted to the rank of major.Stanton, Kerry (1999). Half Safe, Half Boat, Half Car and Half a Century – Collector C@fe. Originally published in Army Motors magazine, issue 89, 1999. Retrieved 2 October 2012. Towards the end of the war, he met an American Red Cross nurse, Elinore Arone, who was originally from Boston. On his discharge from service in 1946, the couple moved to Maryland, where they married in June 1948.
Circumnavigation
Half-Safe and early preparation
Throughout the war, the Allies had made use of a number of different varieties of amphibious vehicle. One of the more commonly used was the Ford GPA, a modified version of the Ford GPW Jeep (also known as a "Seep").Amphibious Jeep – 4wdonline. Retrieved 2 October 2012. In India, towards the end of the war, Carlin had noticed a GPA in an army vehicle lot. To the mockery of his fellow engineers, he suggested that the vehicle could be used to take him around the world, supposedly remarking: "with a bit of titivation, you could go around the world in one of those things"."'Half-Safe' Is Half Way 'Round World " – Sarasota Journal. Published 23 August 2012.Strohl, Daniel (2011). – Hemmings Daily. Published 2 March 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2012. This idea remained with Carlin after his marriage, and he proposed to his wife that the couple honeymoon by crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a modified GPA. After a considerable amount of trouble, the Carlins managed to purchase a 1942 Ford GPA (serial number 1239) from a government auction in Washington, D.C., for US$901 (). The vehicle had originally been manufactured at Ford's plant in River Rouge, Michigan, one of 12,778 built during the war. He originally tried to convince Ford to sponsor his proposed trip, but the company refused, believing the craft would not make the journey. The vehicle required a number of modifications to make it seaworthy, including the addition of a more boat-like bow, a rudder, a larger cabin, and two extra fuel tanks – one at the bow and one under the "belly" of the craft, at the stern.Half safe (1947 1958) – Amphibious Vehicles. Retrieved 2 October 2012. Inside the cabin, a bunk was installed, and the dash was modified to include aircraft instruments, as well as a two-way radio (including a 19-set transmitter and receiver). In total, the vessel's length was extended by three feet to , and the fuel capacity to 200 gallons (760 L) from the original 12 gallons (45 L).The Amphibious Jeep 'Half Safe' – 4wdonline. Retrieved 2 October 2012. The construction of the under-belly fuel tank allowed it to be jettisoned when empty, reducing further its full weight of three long tons (6,720 lb or 3,048 kg).The Swimmers: Ducks, Larks, and other "birds" – Digger History. Archived by the National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 October 2012. The vessel was christened Half-Safe, after the slogan of Arrid, a deodorant brand – "Don't be half-safe – use Arrid to be sure".
Failure of first attempts The couple began testing their craft in 1947, and experienced problems with carbon monoxide removal, with the vessel's enclosed structure potentially increasing the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning. The Carlins chose Montreal as the official starting point of their circumnavigation attempt. They set out from the city in late 1947 for New York City, where they were to launch Half-Safe for the first time, with the intention of crossing the Atlantic via the Azores. A trial run was made in early January 1948, watched by "crowds of sceptical waterside workers"."TO Circle The World In Amphibious Jeep" – The Canberra Times. Published 23 January 1948. The couple's first attempt to complete the transatlantic crossing occurred on 16 June 1948, launching from New York Harbor. Cheered on by "100 amazed wharf labourers", they were first washed up-river by a strong tide, but then made their way out into the Atlantic at a speed of five knots."Honeymoon In Jeep: Unique enterprise begins – The West Australian. Published 18 June 1948. The Carlins failed to maintain radio contact, prompting a search by the United States Coast Guard."Alarm Over Jeep At Sea" – Morning Bulletin. Published 21 June 1948. The craft was eventually landed five days after its departure, south of New York City near the Shark River Inlet in New Jersey."WA Man's Journey" – The Sunday Times. Published 4 July 1948. The couple had experienced problems with the steering gear and rudder, which made the vessel unable to steer at sea unless the wheel was constantly manned."Round The World In A "DUCK" " – Morning Bulletin. Published 6 July 1948. With Half-Safe sailed back to New York, the Carlins commenced their journey for a second time on 3 July,Jeep Travellers Are Lost Again – The Daily News. Published 9 July 1948. but were once again forced back to shore a few days later, this time after nearly being asphyxiated due to a cracked exhaust pipe.
A third attempt was made in late July, but was again not successful due to the mechanical troubles and heavy seasickness the Carlins experienced."Jeep Pair Are Safe" – The Daily News. Published 29 July 1948."An Atlantic Venture: Australian in a Jeep – Third Attempt Fails" – Geraldton Guardian. Published 5 August 1948. The Carlins set out for a fourth time in early August, and progressed further, being sighted several days after their launch by an American destroyer almost off of New York."Jeep" Adventurers Decline Help" – The Argus. Published 13 August 1948. However, the couple soon lost radio contact, prompting Pan-American Airways to direct their crews to search for their craft."Planes On Alert For Carlins" – The Daily News. Published 25 August 1948. Half-Safe and the Carlins were rescued approximately off New York by the oil tanker New Jersey, bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia."Carlin Safe Again" – The Daily News. Published 26 August 1948. Seven days into the voyage, a propeller bearing had welded itself fast due to lack of lubrication, leaving the vessel to drift aimlessly for a further ten days without means of steering it or navigating. According to a message Carlin radioed from the tanker to his friends in New York, the couple "drifted and fished", enjoying a "pleasant life, cheaper than Atlantic City"."To Start Again: Carlins' Atlantic Experiences" – The West Australian. Published 28 August 1948. At the time of the couple's rescue, he considered abandoning the entire voyage, but was convinced to continue by the tanker's Norwegian captain, who greeted Carlin with the words: "Hell, you're not going to leave that god-damned Jeep lying around?!"
Transatlantic crossing The Carlins' fourth failed attempt in two months led them to abandon the project for a period of time in order to raise more money. With the New Jersey arriving in Halifax two weeks after their rescue, Carlin took up a position with a local marine salvage firm, while his wife returned to her family in Boston, and worked in a law office."Start Perilous Atlantic Trip In Amphibious Jeep – Ottawa Citizen. Published 1 September 1949. One final attempt was considered in November 1948, but was postponed due to the approaching winter weather, with Half-Safe stored in a Halifax garage.Carlins Postpone Sixth Try – The Daily News. Published 19 November 1948. In mid 1949, the couple began to ready Half-Safe for a further attempt at the crossing. Testing in late August revealed a burnt-out clutch,Atlantic Bid In Jeep Postponed – The Argus. Published 30 August 1949. which was repaired, and Carlin recognised the need for much larger amounts of fuel. To achieve this extra capacity, two fuel tanks were tied behind Half-Safe, painted bright yellow to aid visibility from the air. Further alterations were also made to the craft's superstructure, and extra stabilising rudders were added. The Carlins launched again in early September 1949. When the vessel was off shore, both of the auxiliary fuel tanks were lost, necessitating a return to Halifax."Misadventure Pursues Couple's Sea-Going Jeep " – Edmonton Journal. Published 2 September 1949. Carlin almost decided to abandon the journey and liquidate Half-Safe, but was convinced by his wife to continue.