Personnel of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition

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The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was an attempt to cross the Antarctic continent led by Ernest Shackleton. The personnel were divided into two groups: the Weddell Sea party consisting of the men who would attempt the crossing and their support, and the Ross Sea party whose job it was to lay stores on the far side of the Pole for the members of the Weddell Sea party who would make the crossing. Both arms of the expedition had a final complement of 28 men. The Weddell Sea party's ship Endurance was crushed in pack ice and the crossing attempt was never made. All the Weddell Sea party were rescued, but several members of the Ross Sea party perished after their support ship Aurora broke free from its mooring post and drifted away, leaving the shore party stranded.

Contents

Names and dates of birth are included where known. After Endurance was lost, the Weddell Sea party spent some months camped on the ice before making for Elephant Island in the three lifeboats salvaged from the vessel, the James Caird , the Dudley Docker and the Stancomb Wills. The boat each man was assigned to for the crossing is listed.

Some of the original crew left the expedition to sign up when war was declared with Germany, [lower-alpha 1] and others returned to England after the ship put in at Buenos Aires.

Weddell Sea party

NameLifeBoatPositionAdditional information
Ernest Shackleton before 1909.jpg Sir Ernest Shackleton 1874–1922James CairdCommanderJames Caird rescue crew
FrankWild.png Frank Wild 1873–1939James CairdSecond-in-commandCape Wild namesake
Frank Worsley.jpg Frank Worsley 1872–1943Dudley DockerCaptainJames Caird rescue crew
FrankHurley.png Frank Hurley 1885–1962James CairdPhotographer
Hubert hudson.jpg Hubert Hudson [lower-alpha 2] 1886–1942Stancomb WillsNavigatorOriginal Stancomb Willis captain
LionelGreenstreet.png Lionel Greenstreet 1889–1979Dudley DockerFirst officer
Tom Crean.jpg Tom Crean 1877–1938Stancomb WillsSecond officerJames Caird rescue crew
Cheetham.PNG Alfred Cheetham 1867–1918Dudley DockerThird officer
  Lewis Rickinson 1883–1945Stancomb Wills [lower-alpha 3] Chief engineerSuspected heart attack on Elephant Island
Alexander Kerr 1892–1964Dudley DockerSecond engineer
James McIlroy 1879–1968Stancomb WillsSurgeon
Macklin.jpeg Alexander Macklin 1889–1967Dudley DockerSurgeon
Robert Clark.jpg Robert Clark 1882–1950James CairdBiologist
Leonard Hussey.jpg Leonard Hussey 1891–1964James CairdMeteorologist
James Mann Wordie - c. 1914.jpg James Wordie 1889–1962James CairdGeologist
Reginald James.png Reginald James 1891–1964James CairdPhysicist
GeorgeMarston.png | George Marston 1882–1940Dudley DockerArtist
Orde-lees.jpg Thomas Orde-Lees 1877–1958Dudley DockerStorekeeper;
motor expert
Mcnish.png Harry "Chippy" McNish [lower-alpha 4] 1874–1930James CairdCarpenterJames Caird rescue crew;
not recommended for Polar medal
CharlesGreen.png Charles Green 1888–1974James CairdCook
William Stephenson 1889–1953Stancomb WillsFireman; stokerNot recommended for Polar medal
Ernest Holness 1892–1924Dudley DockerFireman; stokerNot recommended for Polar medal
JohnVincent(Colour).jpg John Vincent 1879–1941James CairdAble seamanJames Caird rescue crew;
not recommended for Polar medal
Timothy McCarthy 1888–1917James CairdAble seamanJames Caird rescue crew
Walter How 1885–1972Stancomb WillsAble seaman
William Lincoln Bakewell circa 1917.png William Bakewell 1888–1969Stancomb WillsAble seamanRecruited in Buenos Aires;
American claiming to be Canadian
Thomas McLeod 1869–1960Dudley DockerAble seaman
Mrschippy.jpg Perce Blackborow [lower-alpha 5] 1894–1949Stancomb WillsStewardStowaway; hidden aboard by Bakewell;
gangrenous toes of left foot amputated
Sir Daniel Gooch1869–1926Dog handlerReturned home after South Georgia stop
Mrschippy2.png Mrs Chippy –1915McNish's male cat;
shot after Endurance sinking

Ross Sea party

Shore party
NameBornDiedPositionAdditional information
Aeneas Mackintosh ca 1907.jpg
Aeneas Mackintosh
18791916CommanderDied during the expedition
Ernest Joyce 18751940Sledging Equipment and Dogs
Ernest Wild 18791918Storekeeper
Spencer-smith.jpg
Reverend Arnold Spencer-Smith
18831916Chaplain and PhotographerDied during the expedition
John Lachlan Cope 18931947Biologist and Surgeon
Alexander Stevens18861965Chief Scientist
Richard W Richards 18931985PhysicistWould become the last member of the Expedition to pass away
Andrew Keith Jack 18851966Physicist
Irvine Gaze18901978General Assistant
Victor Hayward 18871916General AssistantDied during the expedition
Aboard the Aurora
NameBornDiedPositionAdditional information
Aubrey Howard Ninnis18831956Motor Tractor SpecialistIntended for the shore party but stranded when the Aurora broke adrift
Lionel Hooke18951974Wireless Telegraph OperatorIntended for the shore party but stranded when the Aurora broke adrift
Joseph Stenhouse 188719411st Officer (subsequently Captain)
Leslie Thompson2nd Officer
Alfred Larkman18901962Chief Engineer
C. Adrian Donnelly/Donolly [lower-alpha 6] 2nd Engineer
James Paton 18691918Boatswain
Clarence Maugher/Mauger [lower-alpha 7] Carpenter
Sydney AtkinAble Seaman
Arthur DowningAble Seaman
William KavanaghAble Seaman
A. "Shorty" WarrenAble Seaman
Charles GliddenOrdinary Seaman
S. Grady/Grade [lower-alpha 8] Fireman
William MugridgeFireman
Harold ShawFireman
Edwin Thomas Wise18721943Cook
Emile d'AngladeSteward

Notes

  1. Among these were Douglas George Jeffrey, who later joined Shackleton's final expedition; Courtney Brocklehurst and F. Dobbs who would have been in charge of the dog sections; and V. Studd, the original geologist.
  2. Often seen as Hubert
  3. Accidentally omitted from Worsley's list
  4. McNeish and MacNish are commonly seen
  5. Blackborrow or Blackboro often used for Blackborow and Percy occasionally seen for Perce
  6. Donolly spelling used in South
  7. Mauger spelling used in South
  8. Referred to as Grade in South

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References