A Glimmering in Darkness - Graham Balcombe

[Duncan Price]

Described by its author as "A collection from the principal records in the “archives” of Graham Balcombe on the events leading to the foundation of The Cave Diving Group and notebook records of the early “ops.” in which he took part." This book covers the genesis of UK cave diving from the early attempts to extend Swildon's Hole (Sump 1 was passed by Jack Shappard in 1936 using homemade pump-fed equipment, Sump 2 was passed soon after by Balcombe on homemade open circuit equipment) and Wookey Hole (explored before the War on standard diving dress). During the War, Balcombe designed and built his own oxygen rebreather to explore Keld Head and other sites in Northern England. The Cave Diving Group was formed in 1946 and is probably the oldest technical diving organisation still in existance. We owe much to Balcombe & his contemporaries and now the story is told by one of its founders.

The manuscript was originally penned in 1987 and remained largely unavailable until now when it has been published by the CDG. Several photographs from various sources have been used to illustrate the text but the words themselves portray the determination and ingenuity of the first cave divers.

I would commend this book to anyone remotely interested in cave exploration.

Available to CDG members via the CDG online shop at reduced rate or you can buy online from http://www.lulu.com/content/864183

[padiman]

Nice thread Duncan I am sure this will be an interesting read for my small but growing collection , Regards