Ernest Shackleton

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was born on the 15th of February 1874 and died on the 5th of January 1922. He is one of the most famous explorers in the world.

He was born in Kilkea, Ireland which is 30 miles from Dublin. His father was Henry Shackleton and his mother was Henrietta Gaven. Ernest was the second of their ten children and the first of two sons. In 1880 when he was 6 years old, he and his father moved to Dublin. The reason was that his father could study medicine. After that Ernest spent the rest of his childhood in Sydenham.

When he was 16 he started his career in exploring by joining the Merchant Marine. Ernest agreed to a 4 year commitment. After Ernest completed the program, his father arranged between Ernest and Antarctic expedition donor Llewellyn Longstaff. Ernest asked Longstaff whether he could join Captain Scott’s expedition to the Antartic. So Ernest joined the National Antartic Expedition. The expedition lasted from 1901-1904. When he got back he met and then later married Emily Mary Dorman.

Of his many expeditions he went on, Ernest’s most famous expedition was the Imperial-Trans Antartic Expedition. Although Roald Anumdsen had already reached Antartica, people were still interrested in the expeditions to the Antarctic. Ernest decided that he would cross Antarctica. Ernest recived a total of £36ooo. Intrest to join was enormous. He recived 5000 leters of aplication. There was supposed to have been an advertisement that went in the Times.

Men wanted: For hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of sucsess.

Ernest was very good at choosing a good crew. He took people he had worked with before or took people he had been recogmended to.Ernest, 27 men and his ship: Endurance departed from Plymouth on the 8th of August and set off for South Georgia. They stocked up on supplies and left for the Antarctic. On the third day of the voyage Frank Worsley discovered a stowaway. Perce Blackborow was taken to Ernest who showed a fit of genuine rage. He said ”Do you know that on these expeditions we often get very hungry, and if there is a stowaway available he is the first to be eaten?”. Perce saw that Ernest was tall and heavily built so he replied “They’d get a lot more meat off you, sir.”Ernest turned away to hide his grin. Eventualy he sighned Perce on as steward. Endurance continued until the 17th of Januray when she got stuck in pack ice.The ice held its grip so firmly that it was impossible to get it out.Frank Wild remarked that it was ” Frozen like a nut in a chocolate bar”.

On the 27th of October 1915 Ernest gave the order to abandon ship. Then, on the the 21st of November 1915, Endurance sliped beneath the ice leaving only a few timbers and ropes on the ice. The men had to camp on the ice for almost two months. In that time they had to shoot and eat nearly all the sleding dogs and carpenter: Henry Mcnish’s cat Mrs Chippy. Apparently Henry never forgave Ernest for having Chippy shot. On the 9th of April 1916, Ernest told the men to board the lifeboats and set sail to Elephant island.Upon Elephant, Ernest decided that he would take five men and the biggest of the 3 life boats to go and fetch help.In the end he chose John Vincent, Timothy McCarthy, Thomas Crean, Henry Mcnish and Frank Worsley. The boat that they took was the James Caird which was only 6.85 meters big but it was the biggest. 

The journey to South Georgia was 800 miles. But luckily they maneged it.When they landed they realised that they would have to cross over mountin terain. After what seemed ages to them they reached the town of Stromness. Two boys saw them and at the the site of the filthey uncleaned men, they ran home screaming in terror. Finally on the 30th of August 1916 Ernest and a boat reached Elephant island. After 105 days of being stranded the entire crew of the Endurance set sail for home.

After the 2 year voyage the only casualty was Perce Blackborow’s toes on his left foot, they had to be cut off due to frostbite.Despite the events of the Endurance expedition, Ernest set out again for the Antarctic aboard Quest intending to circumnavigate Antarctica by sea.He suffered a heart attack and died in the morning of the 5th of Januray 1922. He is buried in South Georgia.

Other.

In the comedy program The Mighty Boosh, a explorer mentioned in one of the episodes was called Biggy Shackleton.