An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor by Michael Smith Read Free Book Online Page A

its widest point and in a warmer climate it would be an enormous triangular-shaped bay, lined on one side by an imposing chain of mountains, which point towards the South Pole. Now known as the Ross Ice Shelf, it is the flat, forbidding and hostile gateway to the Transantarctic Mountains, which ultimately lead 10,000 ft up (over 3,000 m) to the Polar Plateau and South Pole itself.

    The Barrier was named after Sir James Clark Ross, who was awestruck when he first encountered the formidable sight 60 years earlier. As he sailed alongside, the Barrier loomed higher than his ships’ masts and Ross said that he might as well try to ‘sail through the cliffs of Dover’.

    There was plenty of work for Crean and his colleagues before the sun finally disappeared for four long months and the officers, scientists and men had little time to waste on idle thoughts about the rigours ahead. Provisions for up to three years were landed, including 42,000 lb (over 19,000 kg) of flour, 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) of roast beef, 800 gallons (3,636 l) of rum and the 45 sheep who had managed to survive the horrendous trip south. There was also an endless supply of equipment, including extra clothing, tents, sledges and a windmill to power a dynamo for lighting. The party also carried a modest printing press on which the
South Polar Times
was published – the first journal to be published in Antarctica.

    Although the hut had been erected, it was decided to spend the winter on board
Discovery
. Crean had quickly established himself as a popular and adaptable member of the party, capable of turning his hand to most tasks and with a great appetite for work. Armitage, the navigator and Scott’s second-in-command, was obviously fond of the Kerryman and had spotted a character in the making. In his book,
Two Years in the Antarctic
, Armitage wrote:

    ‘Crean was an Irishman with a fund of wit and an even temper which nothing disturbed.’

    Crean was in his twenty-fifth year as
Discovery
sailed south and physically in his prime. He was a big, broad-shouldered man, taller than average, although not as tall as is often depicted. He had grown since enlisting in the Navy eight years earlier and Crean’s naval records show that he stood 5 ft 10 ins (almost 1.8 m), although some contemporary references described him as being well over 6 ft. It may be that his deep chest and broad shoulders conveyed the impression of greater height and at 5 ft 10 ins he would have been taller than many others at the turn of the century. He was a cheerful-looking soul, with dark brown hair and clear hazel eyes. His trademark was the broad, welcoming grin and a warm ‘open’ face.

    Crean was quickly recognised as a thoroughly dependable and stalwart member of the
Discovery
party. He soon adapted to life on the ice, developing into a highly capable sledger who was disciplined and never afraid of hard work. Doubtless his upbringing on an Irish farm had acclimatised him to hard work but it was his adaptability, reliability and enduring sense of humour which probably marked Crean out from the bunch. The officers also discovered that he was someone who obeyed orders.

    His selection for the first sledging party immediately after landing had shown that he quickly picked up the knack of man-hauling sledges quicker than most. It was an unlikely talent for a man from the splendid green fields and rolling hills of southwest Ireland.

    It is full testament to his rapid progress that he became one of the most consistent ice travellers of the entire party. The expedition records show that Crean amassed a total of 149 days man-hauling sledges in just over two years with the
Discovery
in the South. Only seven of the 48-man party spent more time than Tom Crean in the sledging harness during the expedition. He was behind only Scott with 193 days, Taff Evans’ 173 days, Skelton’s 171 days, Albert Quartley’s 169 days, Barne’s 162 days, Wilson’s 158 days and Handsley’s 153 days. 1 But