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Shackleton's expedition


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Under the "you learn something every day" category - my wife pulled the book of the Endurance expedition from my nautical classics shelf, waiting there for me to read.

I never knew Frank Worsley, captain of the Endurance, who was the real hero, was a Kiwi, born in Akaroa. Just incredible what they went through with all surviving

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Very randomly, I used to work with a guy that did a re-enactment of Shackletons boat journey. He was the HR manager at the time (of a large company in the UK), and of moderately slight build and quiet disposition. Not the sort of person you would associate with a feat like that. I honestly thought he was taking the piss, and told him that...

Turns out it was true, it was a British navy thing, used as a training exercise. I can't remember all of the details about what he said, they did have a warship shadowing them, just over the horizon so the guys in the dinghy didn't know it was there. Sometime in the 80's or 90's I think.

He was a bat-sh*t crazy Scotsman. Turned out he was banging the Technical Manager (who was a she), and they were forever dreaming up reasons for the two of them to visit my plant at the same time (which was out of town of head office), so they'd have to stay at the same pub together... but never wanted anyone on staff to join them for dinner at said pub.

It's always the quiet ones you have to watch.

PS, before the quake, every time I passed through Chch, I'd make a point of going and seeing Scott's statue by the Avon, and read the inscription on the bottom of it, something along the lines of "We have shown that Englishmen can't meet death with as great a fortitude and courage as every before..." (sorry, I may be getting my early century antarctic screw-ups mixed up)

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Here we go, Robert Falcon Scott (nothing to do with Shackleton, apologies for the thread drift):

I do not regret this journey, which shows
that Englishmen can endure hardships,
help one another, and meet death with
as great fortitude as ever in the past.

250px-Scott_Statue.jpg

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presumably from the log/diary found with his body

very sad

back to worsley + shackleton

 Worsley ran a relatively relaxed ship with little discipline or control of alcohol consumption. Four crew members got into a barroom brawl at a stopover in Madeira, a neutral port.[18] While anchored in the harbour, a neighbouring German ship swung into the Endurance, damaging it. Worsley, enraged, boarded the German ship with some other members of the expedition and forced the crew to repair the damage caused.[20]Shackleton, briefed on Worsley's handling of the voyage to date once he had caught up with the expedition at Buenos Aires, began to have concerns about his choice of captain.

Within days of landing on Elephant Island, Shackleton decided to take a small party and sail the largest lifeboat, the James Caird, named for one of the expedition's sponsors, to South Georgia, 800 miles (1,300 km) away. From there he would obtain a ship and return for the remainder of his men.[43] Worsley, whose navigational skills had impressed Shackleton, volunteered to accompany him.[44] The James Caird, originally built to Worsley's specifications,[45] was about 22 feet (6.7 m) long and the expedition's carpenter, Harry McNish, immediately set about improving its seaworthiness. On 24 April, the weather dawned clear and after being provisioned with 30 days of supplies, the boat left Elephant Island.[44] Worsley was faced with the task of navigating the Southern Ocean to South Georgia. There was no margin for error as the James Caird would sail into the South Atlantic if he missed the island; this would mean almost certain death for those in the lifeboat, as well as for those remaining on Elephant Island.[46] Fortuitously, the weather was fine on the day of departure from the island and this allowed Worsley to obtain a sun sighting to ensure that his chronometer was rated.[47]

the journey, which eventually would take 16 days, in strong and heavy seas, to reach South Georgia.[49] For most of the voyage, the weather proved to be stormy and so overcast Worsley was unable to take more than a few sightings with his sextant.[50] He described one sighting as "...cuddling the mast with one arm and swinging fore and aft round the mast, sextant and all..." and he would "...catch the sun when the boat leaped her highest on the crest of a sea...".[51] At times the sea conditions were so rough he was braced by the other crew members when taking his sightings

after shackleton brought all his men back safely to the uk, they were then herded off to the great war to get chewed up

Worsley, known to his intimates as Depth-Charge Bill, owing to his success with that particular method of destroying German submarines, has the Distinguished Service Order and three submarines to his credit.”

https://eshackleton.com/2016/09/06/the-fate-of-the-crew-2/

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I was bought up in Chch on a diet of Scott's heroism. One of the best books I've read in recent time in The last Place on Earth by Roland Huntford. Dissects beautifully the differences between Scott's abortive attempts and Amundsen's clinical precision in getting to the pole. Shackleton was a crew member on one of Scotts earlier expeditions - once was enough for him I believe. Scott only got the nod over several others due to him having a rich and powerful benefactor. 

Shackleton a personal hero of mine. Check out the scotch!

WIN_20200614_21_33_54_Pro.jpg

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1 hour ago, Fish said:

Here we go, Robert Falcon Scott (nothing to do with Shackleton, apologies for the thread drift):

I do not regret this journey, which shows
that Englishmen can endure hardships,
help one another, and meet death with
as great fortitude as ever in the past.

250px-Scott_Statue.jpg

Scott’s tragedy pales in comparison for me with Shackleton.

Shackleton never lost a man whilst Scott and his crew perished.

Although different circumstances prevailed discretion is the better part of valour.

 

 

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17 minutes ago, erice said:

Excellent film, we watched it this afternoon and it highlighted that Shackleton insisted on pushing ahead with the expedition in spite of advice from the Norwegians at South Georgia that this ice pack was a long way north.

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