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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.

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,[a] and others returned to England after the ship put in at Buenos Aires.

Weddell Sea party

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Name Life Boat Position Additional information
Sir Ernest Shackleton 1874–1922 James Caird Commander James Caird rescue crew
Frank Wild 1873–1939 James Caird Second-in-command Cape Wild namesake
Frank Worsley 1872–1943 Dudley Docker Captain James Caird rescue crew
Frank Hurley 1885–1962 James Caird Photographer
Hubert Hudson[b] 1886–1942 Stancomb Wills Navigator Original Stancomb Willis captain
Lionel Greenstreet 1889–1979 Dudley Docker First officer
Tom Crean 1877–1938 Stancomb Wills Second officer James Caird rescue crew
Alfred Cheetham 1867–1918 Dudley Docker Third officer
  Lewis Rickinson 1883–1945 Stancomb Wills[c] Chief engineer Suspected heart attack on Elephant Island
Alexander Kerr 1892–1964 Dudley Docker Second engineer
James McIlroy 1879–1968 Stancomb Wills Surgeon
Alexander Macklin 1889–1967 Dudley Docker Surgeon
Robert Clark 1882–1950 James Caird Biologist
Leonard Hussey 1891–1964 James Caird Meteorologist
James Wordie 1889–1962 James Caird Geologist
Reginald James 1891–1964 James Caird Physicist
| George Marston 1882–1940 Dudley Docker Artist
Thomas Orde-Lees 1877–1958 Dudley Docker Storekeeper;
motor expert
Harry "Chippy" McNish[d] 1874–1930 James Caird Carpenter James Caird rescue crew;
not recommended for Polar medal
Charles Green 1888–1974 James Caird Cook
William Stephenson 1889–1953 Stancomb Wills Fireman; stoker Not recommended for Polar medal
Ernest Holness 1892–1924 Dudley Docker Fireman; stoker Not recommended for Polar medal
John Vincent 1879–1941 James Caird Able seaman James Caird rescue crew;
not recommended for Polar medal
Timothy McCarthy 1888–1917 James Caird Able seaman James Caird rescue crew
Walter How 1885–1972 Stancomb Wills Able seaman
William Bakewell 1888–1969 Stancomb Wills Able seaman Recruited in Buenos Aires;
American claiming to be Canadian
Thomas McLeod 1869–1960 Dudley Docker Able seaman
Perce Blackborow[e] 1894–1949 Stancomb Wills Steward Stowaway; hidden aboard by Bakewell;
gangrenous toes of left foot amputated
Sir Daniel Gooch 1869–1926 Dog handler Returned home after South Georgia stop
Mrs Chippy –1915 McNish's male cat;
shot after Endurance sinking

Ross Sea party

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Shore party
Name Born Died Position Additional information

Aeneas Mackintosh		 1879 1916 Commander Died during the expedition
Ernest Joyce 1875 1940 Sledging Equipment and Dogs
Ernest Wild 1879 1918 Storekeeper

Reverend Arnold Spencer-Smith		 1883 1916 Chaplain and Photographer Died during the expedition
John Lachlan Cope 1893 1947 Biologist and Surgeon
Alexander Stevens 1886 1965 Chief Scientist
Richard W Richards 1893 1985 Physicist Would become the last member of the Expedition to pass away
Andrew Keith Jack 1885 1966 Physicist
Irvine Gaze 1890 1978 General Assistant
Victor Hayward 1887 1916 General Assistant Died during the expedition
Aboard the Aurora
Name Born Died Position Additional information
Aubrey Howard Ninnis 1883 1956 Motor Tractor Specialist Intended for the shore party but stranded when the Aurora broke adrift
Lionel Hooke 1895 1974 Wireless Telegraph Operator Intended for the shore party but stranded when the Aurora broke adrift
Joseph Stenhouse 1887 1941 1st Officer (subsequently Captain)
Leslie Thompson 2nd Officer
Alfred Larkman 1890 1962 Chief Engineer
C. Adrian Donnelly/Donolly[f] 2nd Engineer
James Paton 1869 1918 Boatswain
Clarence Maugher/Mauger[g] Carpenter
Sydney Atkin Able Seaman
Arthur Downing Able Seaman
William Kavanagh Able Seaman
A. "Shorty" Warren Able Seaman
Charles Glidden Ordinary Seaman
S. Grady/Grade[h] Fireman
William Mugridge Fireman
Harold Shaw Fireman
Edwin Thomas Wise 1872 1943 Cook
Emile d'Anglade Steward

Notes

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  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

References

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  • Alexander, Caroline (1998). Endurance. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 0-7475-4123-X.
  • Shackleton, Ernest (1919). South: The story of Shackleton's 1914–17 expedition. Project Gutenberg.
  • Tyler-Lewis, Kelly (2006). The Lost Men: The Harrowing Saga of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party. London: Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-0-7475-7972-4.
  • Worsley, Frank A. (1998) [1933]. Shackleton's Boat Journey. W.W. Norton & Company.
  • Rajala, Elizabeth Anna Bakewell (2004). The American on the Endurance: Ice, Seas, and Terra Firma Adventures of William Bakewell. Munising, MI: Dukes Hall Publishing. ISBN 0-9749134-0-5.
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