Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance expedition was the remarkable final chapter in the Heroic Age of Exploration. Like many great tales, Shackleton’s story is one of failure. He proved, though, that just because you might fail it doesn’t make you a failure. In his case quite the opposite.
Always keen for an adventure, it was only a matter of time before I found Shackleton. During my third year at university I stumbled across Hurley’s expedition photographs, which immediately captured my imagination. I took to drawing some of the scenes in Hurley’s otherworldly photographs and began reading his first person account, South. Later my tutor pointed out my drawings could create an interesting picture book, something I’d always wanted to make.
In his own words, Shackleton’s expedition reminds us that “It is in our nature to explore, to reach out into the unknown. The only true failure would be not to explore at all.”
Here are 10 of my favourite facts about the expedition which I unearthed when I was researching my book Shackleton’s Journey:
- During the recruitment process Shackleton quizzed candidates on their practical skills but also about more unusual things such as whether they could sing well. Only 26 were chosen from 5000 who applied.
2. There were 69 dogs on board and most were mixed breed, weighing about 100lbs each (big dogs). Each one was assigned to a member of the team, and each was lovingly (if strangely) named. Here are just some of these names: Bummer, Chips, Hercules, Judge, Roy, Samson, Satan, Shakespeare, Slippery Neck, Steamer, Stumps, Surly, Swanker, Upton, Wallaby.
3. The ship Endurance was originally named Polaris but re-named Endurance after Shackleton’s family motto: By Endurance We Conquer.
4. The bow of the Endurance was 1.3 metres thick, ideal for breaking thick ice.
5. Just before leaving, King George V presented Shackleton with the Union flag which he encouraged him to bring home safely.
6. The ship’s expedition photographer Frank Hurley regularly filmed the ship while hanging precariously from the jib boom.
7. During long periods waiting for spring the crew constructed Dog Town where “dog igloos” were built from ice and wood for each of the ship’s dogs.
8. The living quarters on board the ship were referred to as The Ritz.
9. On Elephant Island, the crew set up a temporary base where the ship’s artist George Marston allowed his remaining oil paints to be used as glue on the canvases covering the shelter, for extra waterproofing.
10. During one morale boosting celebration of the leap year, the crew were attacked by a sea leopard, which was quickly despatched by Frank Wild and his trusty rifle. In a turn of good fortune, the sea leopard was found to have a stomach full of undigested fish which provided a delicious meals for the crew.
William Grill, the author of Shackleton’s Journey, is doing a workshop at the Greenwich Book Festival on Sunday 24 May 2015. Check out the children’s and teen programme for lots of exciting events, many free, and the whole weekend festival, here: http://greenwichbookfest.com.
