Flag linked to Franklin polar mystery saved
A FLAG flown from a polar sledge used to hunt for survivors of Captain Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition has been saved for the nation after a campaign backed by Michael Palin, the travel broadcaster and historian Dan Snow.
The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) launched a campaign to raise the £120,000 needed to stop the Kellett sledge flag from passing into the hands of an overseas private collector.
It succeeded thanks to £98,170 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and £40,000 from the Art Fund, with cashmatching by the NMRN enabling the museum to buy the flag and put it on display at its sites in Hartlepool, Portsmouth and Belfast.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, the arts and heritage minister, had placed a temporary export bar on the flag in September 2022.
It was owned by Vice-admiral Sir Henry Kellett, an Irish naval officer, and was flown during the third of a series of expeditions from 1852 to 1854 to look for survivors, or evidence of bodies, after Franklin’s expedition vanished.
“Mystery surrounding the fate of the Franklin expedition and the 129 crew ignited public debate and intrigue for decades until the discovery of his two ships,” an NMRN spokesman said.
“Franklin’s failed expedition takes on a symbolic place within Arctic exploration, especially within the British Isles and Canada, leading to the successful mapping of the Canadian archipelago and northern mainland coastline.”
Prof Dominic Tweddle, NMRN director general, said: “[The] sledge flag and Franklin’s expedition represent courage and fortitude in the face of adversity – core elements of our national identity that echo through our history.”
Measuring 23in by 35in, the flag is in a fragile condition and is being assessed for recommended treatment. Auxilium Ab Alto, its motto, translates as “help from above”.
Rachel Trembath, the NMRN conservator, said: “The flag will be sent to a specialist textile conservator. The decision to clean [it] will have to balance the long-term preservation needs with the historical significance of the staining.”
Lord Parkinson said: “I am delighted that this flag, an important link with our past, and a symbol of courage and curiosity, has been saved for the nation.”