Personnel of the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition

The crew of the Quest at the start of the expedition

The Shackleton–Rowett Expedition, 1921–22, was the last Antarctic expedition led by Sir Ernest Shackleton. Proposed as an ambitious two-year programme of Antarctic exploration it was curtailed by the death of Shackleton and the inadequacies of the expedition's ship, Quest. Under the command of Frank Wild several attempts were made to break through the Antarctic pack ice, but the expedition was never able to proceed further than longitude 20°E. On the crew's return to Cape Town to refit in preparation for the second term they were ordered home. The crew of the Quest comprised 24 members in all, but only 19 were on board for the start of the Antarctic portion (Hussey accompanied Shackleton's body when it was put on board a ship for England, and Eriksen, Mooney and Bee-Mason had left before the ship reached South Georgia). Gerald Lysaght, a yachtsman, accompanied the crew from Plymouth to Cape Verde.

Image Name Born Died Position Additional information
Sir Ernest Shackleton 1874 1922 Commander Died on South Georgia during the expedition
Frank Wild 1873 1939 2nd in Command Took command of the expedition on Shackleton's death. Had served as 2nd in Command on Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Frank Worsley 1872 1943 Captain of Quest Formerly Captain of Endurance during the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Alexander Kerr 1892 1964 Engineer Served as 2nd Engineer on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
James McIlroy 1879 1968 Surgeon/Meteorologist Veteran of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Alexander Macklin 1889 1967 Surgeon/In charge of stores and equipment Veteran of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Leonard Hussey 1891 1964 Meteorologist/Assistant Surgeon Accompanied Shackleton's body to Montevideo and then back to South Georgia, so was not present for most of the expedition. Veteran of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Charles Green 1888 1974 Cook Veteran of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Thomas McLeod 1869 1960 Able seaman Veteran of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Roderick Carr 1891 1971 Pilot Assisted with scientific work as the expedition's plane was unserviceable
James Dell c.1880 1968 Electrician, Boatswain Had been with Shackleton on the Discovery Expedition
Hubert Wilkins 1888 1958 Biologist
George Vibert Douglas 1892 1958 Geologist Born in Montreal, Canada. Professor of Geology, Dalhousie University (1932-1957)
James Marr 1902 1965 Boy Scout With Mooney was selected from 1,700 Scouts who applied to accompany the expedition
Norman Mooney[1] c.1904 Boy Scout Left the ship at Madeira after suffering chronic seasickness
Douglas George Jeffrey 1885 1972 Navigator Had been intended for the original crew on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, but when war broke out on the eve of Endurance's departure he felt compelled to stay in England to sign up.
Eriksen[2] Harpoon expert Returned home when the Quest put in at Rio de Janeiro for repairs
John Charles Bee-Mason[3] c.1875 1957 Photographer Left the ship at Madeira after suffering chronic seasickness
C. E. Smith 2nd Engineer
Harold Watts Wireless Operator
G. H. Ross[4] Stoker
S. S. Young Stoker Joined the expedition in Rio de Janeiro
Harold Arthur Argles[5] 1899 1929 Stoker Joined the expedition in Rio de Janeiro.
Christopher Naisbitt Cook's assistant Joined the expedition in Rio de Janeiro
Query (dog) 1920/21[6] 1922 Mascot Washed overboard and drowned on June 9, 1922
Questie (cat) 1921 Mascot A kitten presented to the expedition by the Daily Mail

Notes

  1. ^ Full name: Norman Erland Mooney
  2. ^ Not in Wild's crew list in his report to the Royal Geographical Society, but mentioned in Shackleton's Last Voyage
  3. ^ Also known as John Charles Mason
  4. ^ Probably George Hamblin Ross
  5. ^ Listed as James Argyles in Mills, p.340; as Argle and Argles in Shackleton's Last Voyage; as H. J. Argyles in the crew list of Wild's report to the Royal Geographical Society, and as Argles later in the same document.
  6. ^ He was a puppy when Shackleton brought him on board in early 1921

References

  • Mills, Leif (1999). Frank Wild. Whitby: Caedmon of Whitby. ISBN 0-905355-48-2.
  • Wild, Frank. "Shackleton's Last Voyage: The Story of the Quest". www.archive.org. Retrieved 3 December 2008.
  • Wild, Frank (2 February 1923). "The Voyage of the Quest". The Geographical Journal. 61 (2): 73–97. doi:10.2307/1781104.