Opening your find
Back to search
Opening your find
It was on 15 June 1910, that the whaler and exploration vessel Terra Nova sailed from Cardiff Docks for the Southern Hemisphere. Led by Robert Falcon Scott, the primary aim of those on board was to undertake an extensive programme of scientific research in Antarctica.
The mission, however, is best remembered for Scott's attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole. Having established a base on Ross Island, Scott and four companions - Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, Lawrence Oates, and Edgar Evans - finally began their polar journey in late 1911.
They reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, only to discover that the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had arrived at the spot just over a month earlier. Disappointed, but determined, Scott's team began the return journey under worsening conditions.
Plagued by extreme cold, exhaustion, and shortages of food and fuel, all five men perished on the way back. Scott's final diary entries, later recovered, revealed courage and a sense of duty in the face of certain death.
Despite the tragic outcome, the expedition contributed valuable scientific data and became a powerful symbol of endurance, sacrifice, and the harsh realities of polar exploration. All sixty-five men who took part in the British Antarctic Expedition were awarded the Polar Medal for their endeavours.
Many of those who returned also saw subsequent service in one or both of the two world wars. But who were they? Where did they come from? And what happened to them in the years that followed?
Selected from all walks of life and varied nationalities, the expedition included personnel from the navy and army, medical men and photographers, and even mechanics and dog handlers.
Though their work was overshadowed by the events surrounding Scott's party, the twelve scientists who participated in the expedition - the largest Antarctic scientific team of its time - made important discoveries in zoology, botany, geology, glaciology, and meteorology. Noted for his in-depth r
No reviews available here yet.
Tell us what you’d change, or start with a new idea.
