Joanna Grochowicz - Shackletons Endurance: An Antarctic Survival Story

Also by Joanna Grochowicz

Into the White

Amundsens Way

First published by Allen & Unwin in 2021

Copyright Text, Joanna Grochowicz 2021

Copyright Illustrations, Sarah Lippett 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or ten per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

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ISBN 978 1 76052 609 2

eISBN 978 1 76106 156 1

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Cover and text design by Joanna Hunt

Cover and text illustrations by Sarah Lippett

Set by Midland Typesetters, Australia

www.joannagrochowicz.com

For Pawel

IMPERIAL TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Trans-continental party

Sir Ernest Shackleton Leader**

Frank Wild Deputy***

Frank Hurley Photographer

Dr Alexander Mack Macklin Surgeon

George Putty Marston Artist*

Tom Crean Second Officer**

The Endurance

Frank The Skipper Worsley Captain of the Endurance

Lionel Greenstreet First Officer

Hubert Hudson Navigator

Henry Chippy McNish Carpenter

Thomas Orde-Lees Motor expert

Dr James Mick McIlroy Doctor

Lewis Rickinson Chief Engineer

Alexander Kerr Assistant Engineer

Charles Green Cook

Perce Blackborow Stowaway

Seamen:

William Bakewell

Alf Cheetham***

Ernie Holness

Walter How

Timothy McCarthy

Thomas McLeod*

John Vincent

William Stephenson

Scientists

James Wordie Geologist and chief scientist

Robert Clark Biologist

Leonard Hussey Meteorologist

Reginald Jimmy James Physicist

number of previous expeditions to Antarctica

KEY DATES

1914

8 August Endurance leaves Britain

26 October Endurance leaves Buenos Aires

5 November Endurance arrives in South Georgia

5 December Endurance leaves South Georgia

30 December Endurance crosses the Antarctic Circle

1915

19 January Endurance is caught in ice

27 October Shackleton gives the order to abandon ship

21 November Endurance sinks

23 December the men leave Ocean Camp

29 December the men establish Patience Camp

1916

23 March land is sighted from Patience Camp

9 April the men take to the boats

15 April the men reach Elephant Island (Cape Valentine)

17 April the men relocate to Cape Wild

24 April James Caird leaves Elephant Island

10 May James Caird arrives in South Georgia

19 May Shackleton, Worsley and Crean set off from King Haakon Sound

20 May Shackleton, Worsley and Crean arrive in Stromness

23 May Southern Sky leaves South Georgia

10 June Instituto de Pesca No 1 leaves the Falkland Islands

12 July Emma leaves Punta Arenas

25 August Yelcho leaves Punta Arenas

30 August Shackleton, Worsley and Crean arrive in Elephant Island aboard Yelcho

The explorer has known moments of great excitement and this is one of them. Failing to convey the sheer scale of his ambition in words, he takes up a pen and draws a map of the continent on the back of a menu. Nothing more than an empty circle. With a line drawn through it. This is the plan he shares at the geological society lunch.

I believe it will take one hundred and twenty days, he says. One short Antarctic summer.

His assertion is met with raised eyebrows. The gentlemen at the lunch who might be persuaded to fund such a venture are intrigued but not yet convinced.

The game has changed. The pole has been conquered. Captain Scott is dead and Roald Amundsen is victorious. For so long Sir Ernest Shackleton imagined himself at 90 degrees south. But getting to the only place on earth where all directions point north is not enough now. Another more ambitious venture awaits: to cross the Antarctic continent from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. At almost 3000 kilometres, it will be the last great polar journey to be made. Much of the terrain they will cover is uncharted, probably pockmarked with obstacles. In his optimistic way, Shackleton hopes to finally leave his mark on the continent.

The fight will be a good one. Third time lucky. He knows from experience that planning takes years; finding money takes courage. Exploration costs a great deal and the 39-year-old explorer has no riches of his own. He has charm though, bags of it. Having dealt out a large amount of it over lunch, he leaves the function more determined than ever.

Next Shackleton applies his talents to securing the backing of prominent institutions, ingratiating himself with sponsors, gladhanding politicians, royalty and society ladies. Months of back slapping, asking favours, and making promises that he hopes to keep has left him exhausted and in poor health. But his efforts pay off with a fine ship, men, sledge dogs and enough provisions to last several years.

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition sets sail from Britain on 8 August 1914, even as Germany enters into conflict with Russia, then France, and general mobilisation is ordered in England. He feels obliged to offer his ship to the Royal Navy and release his men, but the Admiralty tells him to set sail for British glory. Nothing, not even the outbreak of world war, will hold Shackleton back.

The expedition is still short of funds and money must be borrowed. Shackleton wants his mens wages to go to their families during their long absence. Ultimately, any debts can be repaid by selling the story to the newspapers on his return. Everybody loves reading about daring individuals cheating death while they sip tea over breakfast. As it turns out theres money in suffering. Shackleton only hopes that on the last great polar journey there will not be too much of it.

ARGENTINA, OCTOBER 1914

The Buenos Aires docks are a busy place. Theres the usual activity of boats arriving and departing, fishing vessels offloading their catch, cargo ships undergoing repairs, others taking on supplies and crew. Theres shouting in every language, bustle and muck, donkeys hitched to wooden carts and a stray dog looking for handouts but receiving a kick.