Shackleton had many different roles on return from Endurance expedition
ERNEST Henry Shackleton (18741922) is best known for his extraordinary achievement in leading the men of the Endurance expedition safely out of the Antarctic after their ship had been crushed in the ice.
The expedition took place just as the First World War broke out and ended while warfare was still raging in Europe.
Shackleton and his men returned for the last 18 months of war.
Enduring Eye, the exhibition at The Wilson, shows Shackleton’s remarkable escape through the eyes of photographers Ponting and Hurley.
The two objects shown here reflect aspects of the war – the advertisement for Burberry Coats uses Scott, Shackleton and Amundsen’s names to promote their wares while the stamp illustrates Shackleton in the uniform of an army major.
When he returned to Europe Shackleton was very much at a loss.
The world he had left in 1914 had changed out of all recognition as the war dragged on, and hundreds and thousands of men had been killed, everyone at home had been affected and nobody would be the same again.
Shackleton did not have a niche, he was too old to enlist, and was not a well man (though he never admitted this), so was left begging the Government for a suitable job.
He had good standing in Argentina and Chile, the people there had lined the streets in their hundreds to welcome him back from his ordeal in the ice.
So he was sent on a mission to South America to promote Britain’s interests, and find out exactly how Britain was regarded.
He returned in April 1918, but it is doubtful if his report was ever acted on.
Filed at the Foreign Office to quote
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one writer.
His next posting was to look for mineral wealth in Spitsbergen for the Northern Exploration Company, a job that in peacetime would have appealed to the treasure hunter in him.
He was given shares in the company and allowed to have some of his former comrades.
The real reason for the trip was undoubtedly to preserve mineral assets for the allies as the government believed the Russians were going to exploit them.
Shackleton had only reached Tromso in Norway when the War Office recalled him for a more urgent job.
This time they wanted Shackleton to equip allied troops with suitable clothing and equipment for overwintering 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
Murmansk in North Russia was the only port in the area to remain open throughout the winter and the War Office wanted to ensure it was available for the allies to use.
Shackleton was delighted as he could at long last hold a military post, with the associated uniform – he was appointed a Major – and the posting held the prospect of danger, sledging and possible fighting.
He was very proud of the photograph shown on the stamp. But the posting was not for long, two weeks after his arrival in Mumansk the armistice was signed.
Come and see the Shackleton material on display in the Open Archive Gallery at The Wilson, in the display At Last Fighting is Over.
The Wilson is open Tuesday– Wednesday/friday–saturday 9.30am-5.15pm; Thursday 9.30am–7.45pm and Sunday 11am– 4pm.
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