The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917)

1. 1. London

   Today: London, England, United Kingdom · Arrived 1 August 1914

   The expedition departed from London, passing down the Thames and leaving behind the activity of warships as they set out on their Antarctic journey.

   I can also remember the regret at leaving it all and the consequent ‘fedupness.’

2. 2. Buenos Ayres

   Today: Buenos Aires, Argentina · Arrived 1 October 1914

   The expedition's ship arrived at Buenos Ayres, where preparations were completed before departing for South Georgia. The party sailed from Buenos Ayres for South Georgia on October 26, 1914.

   The voyage out to Buenos Ayres was uneventful, and on October 26 we sailed from that port for South Georgia, the most southerly outpost of the British Empire.

   Also called at by Charles Darwin. Identified as Buenos Aires

3. 3. Grytviken

   Today: Grytviken, South Georgia Island, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Arrived 5 November 1914 · position reconstructed

   The Endurance arrived at South Georgia and anchored in King Edward Cove, off Grytviken, where the expedition spent a month studying whales and the whaling industry while preparing for the Antarctic voyage.

   The _Endurance_ reached South Georgia on November 5, 1914, and anchored in King Edward Cove, Cumberland Bay, off Grytviken, the shore station of the Argentina Pesca Company. During the month’s stay at the island a considerable amount of time was devoted to a study of the whales and the whaling industry, in the intervals of the general routine of expedition work, and simultaneously with other studies on the general life of this interesting sub-Antarctic island.

   Why is this position reconstructed?

4. 4. the Weddell pack

   Today: Weddell Sea pack ice, Antarctica · Arrived 18 January 1915 · position reconstructed

   The Endurance became firmly beset in the heavy pack ice of the Weddell Sea, unable to proceed further as the ice closed in around the ship in every direction.

   the position on the 20th showed that the ship was firmly beset. The ice was packed heavily and firmly all round the _Endurance_ in every direction as far as the eye could reach from the masthead. There was nothing to be done till the conditions changed, and we waited through that day and the succeeding days with increasing anxiety.

5. 5. Ocean Camp

   Today: Weddell Sea Ice Floe, off the coast of Antarctica · Arrived 30 October 1915 · position reconstructed

   After abandoning the Endurance, Shackleton and his crew established their main camp on a large ice floe, which they named Ocean Camp. This floe served as their base for nearly two months as they salvaged supplies and prepared for the next stage of their journey.

   end we moved our tents and all our gear to a thick, heavy old floe about one and a half miles from the wreck and there made our camp. We called this “Ocean Camp.” It was with the utmost difficulty that we shifted our two boats. The surface was terrible—like nothing that any of us had ever seen around us before. We were sinking at times up to our hips, and everywhere the snow was two feet deep.

6. 6. Patience Camp

   Today: Patience Camp site, Weddell Sea ice floe, Antarctica · Arrived 31 March 1916 · position reconstructed

   After a failed attempt to reach land, Shackleton's party established a new camp on the drifting ice floe, which they named 'Patience Camp,' where they would remain for over three months.

   Our new home, which we were to occupy for nearly three and a half months, we called “Patience Camp.”

7. 7. Elephant Island

   Today: Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica · Arrived 9 April 1916 · position reconstructed

   The expedition's boats made landfall on Elephant Island after a perilous journey through rough seas and ice, marking the first time the party set foot on solid ground since leaving the pack ice.

   It was a rather rough experience for Blackborrow, but, anyhow, he is now able to say that he was the first man to sit on Elephant Island. Possibly at the time he would have been willing to forgo any distinction of the kind. We landed the cook with his blubber-stove, a supply of fuel and some packets of dried milk, and also several of the men.

8. 8. Elephant Island

   Today: Point Wild, Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica · Arrived 15 April 1916 · position reconstructed

   The expedition made the first landing ever on Elephant Island, coming ashore at what is now known as Point Wild. The men hauled their boats onto the stony beach and began to establish a camp after a perilous journey.

   Rowing carefully and avoiding the blind rollers which showed where sunken rocks lay, we brought the _Stancomb Wills_ towards the opening in the reef. Then, with a few strong strokes we shot through on the top of a swell and ran the boat on to a stony beach. The next swell lifted her a little farther. This was the first landing ever made on Elephant Island, and a thought came to me that the honour should belong to the youngest member of the Expedition, so I told Blackborrow to jump over.

9. 9. Stromness Bay

   Today: Stromness Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Arrived 22 May 1916 · position reconstructed

   The James Caird party arrived at Stromness Bay, where the men of the whaling station received them and examined the boat after their 800-mile voyage from Elephant Island.

   Just at dusk on Monday afternoon they entered Stromness Bay, where the men of the whaling-station mustered on the beach to receive the rescued party and to examine with professional interest the boat we had navigated across 800 miles of the stormy ocean they knew so well.

10. 10. King Haakon Bay

    Today: King Haakon Bay, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Arrived 10 May 1916 · position reconstructed

    The James Caird landed at King Haakon Bay after its epic voyage from Elephant Island, and the exhausted crew brought the boat ashore above the high-water mark.

    The sea went down in the early hours of the morning (May 11), and after sunrise we were able to set about getting the boat ashore, first bracing ourselves for the task with another meal. We were all weak still. We cut off the topsides and took out all the movable gear. Then we waited for Byron’s “great ninth wave,” and when it lifted the _James Caird_ in we held her and, by dint of great exertion, worked her round broadside to the sea. Inch by inch we dragged her up until we reached the fringe of the tussock-grass and knew that the boat was above high-water mark.

11. 11. Stromness whaling-station

    Today: Stromness Whaling Station, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands · Arrived 20 May 1916 · position reconstructed

    Shackleton and his companions arrived at Stromness whaling-station after crossing South Georgia Island, where they were received by the whalers and their boat was examined with interest.

    At 1.30 p.m. we climbed round a final ridge and saw a little steamer, a whaling-boat, entering the bay 2500 ft, below. A few moments later, as we hurried forward, the masts of a sailing-ship lying at a wharf came in sight. Minute figures moving to and fro about the boats caught our gaze, and then we saw the sheds and factory of Stromness whaling-station. We paused and shook hands, a form of mutual congratulation that had seemed necessary on four other occasions in the course of the expedition.

12. 12. Elephant Island

    Today: Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica · Arrived 23 May 1916 · position reconstructed

    On May 23, 1916, Shackleton and his crew aboard the Southern Sky made their first rescue attempt to reach the stranded men on Elephant Island, but were forced to turn back due to impassable pack ice.

    At noon on Tuesday, May 23, we were at sea and steaming at ten knots on a south-westerly course. We made good progress, but the temperature fell very low, and the signs gave me some cause for anxiety as to the probability of encountering ice. On the third night out the sea seemed to grow silent. I looked over the side and saw a thin film of ice. The sea was freezing around us and the ice gradually grew thicker, reducing our speed to about five knots.

13. 13. Elephant Island

    Today: Point Wild, Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica · Arrived 30 August 1916 · position reconstructed

    The rescue ship Yelcho arrived at Elephant Island and rescued the twenty-two men who had been stranded there for four and a half months under the command of Frank Wild.

    The twenty-two men on Elephant Island were just at the end of their resources when the _Yelcho_ reached them. Wild had husbanded the scanty stock of food as far as possible and had fought off the devils of despondency and despair on that little sand-spit, where the party had a precarious foothold between the grim ice-fields and the treacherous, ice-strewn sea.

14. 14. Punta Arenas

    Today: Punta Arenas, Chile · Arrived 3 September 1916 · position reconstructed

    The expedition, having rescued the stranded men, returned to Punta Arenas aboard the Yelcho, where they received an enthusiastic welcome from the local populace and British residents.

    We entered the Straits of Magellan on September 3 and reached Rio Secco at 8 a.m. I went ashore, found a telephone, and told the Governor and my friends at Punta Arenas that the men were safe. Two hours later we were at Punta Arenas, where we were given a welcome none of us is likely to forget. The Chilian people were no less enthusiastic than the British residents.

15. 15. England

    Today: England, United Kingdom · Arrived 1 May 1917

    After the conclusion of the expedition and the rescue of the stranded parties, the surviving members of the expedition returned to England, where most joined the war effort in various capacities.

    Finally, when the Expedition did return, practically the whole of those members who had come unscathed through the dangers of the Antarctic took their places in the wider field of battle, and the percentage of casualties amongst the members of this Expedition is high.

Published under CC BY-SA 4.0. Sources keep their own open licences. See the Magna Carta of the Seas for how this was verified.