Shackleton's Heroes

by Wilson McOrist

  Dreamt last night I had promised to preach today in London, but had not written the sermon, nor could remember where the church was. Joan|| could not find the text about Absalom’s complaint of David’s niggardliness in forgiveness (a crib of Dr Macgregor’s sermon in part).43

  Hayward:

  9 Nov: Under way punctually 8 o/c. Surface A1.** By lunch camp had done 4 m. After lunch fresh N. Easter sprang up, set sail, great assistance. Total for day 9M. Excellent. What!

  11 Nov: Weather lovely. Going excellent. Dogs A1. Total mileage for day 9½ M

  15 Nov: Richards & I took dog team & fetched back stores depôted by us last trip 2 m from our Camp these stores we left here, this being a more convenient point & also right on our course.

  Got under way 10.30 heavy going weather bright & warm, so warm in afternoon in fact that I indulged in a wash snow making quite a good substitute for water, soap & towel. Mileage 5½ m.44

  Mid-November 1915

  Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild seemed to enjoy each other’s company. Spencer-Smith made diary notes on their debates, such as on ‘Home Rule’,45 on the sledge-meter,46 and with ‘the Skipper about laymen taking scientific observations’.47 There is no diary note of any conversations between Mackintosh and Wild; however, it is not hard to imagine that they would have discussed their shared Bedfordshire connection and their naval experiences. Mackintosh was at Bedford Modern School from 1891 to 1894.48 Wild lived at Eversholt, a tiny village in Bedfordshire, from 1884 to 1894. Mackintosh served as an officer on a number of ships, working for the merchant shipping company P&O from 1900 to 1909, and Wild served with the Royal Navy on battleships, cruisers and gunboats, from 1895 to 1913.49 50 But, from a Mackintosh diary note from the year before, we have some insight into the conversation between these three men:

  After our sledging and while at our hoosh, all kinds of subjects are discussed from meals we’d like to be eating to quandaries as to what’s happening at the Front; religion, seeing we have a parson; politics, in fact there’s precious little that is not turned over in conversation.51

  On 12 November Spencer-Smith fell into a deep crevasse, giving thanks when rescued. Wild gave us his version and there is no embellishment of the potential danger. He used the phrase ‘in his warming pan’, which no one explains, but presumably it meant down the front of the pants.

  A 14 November diary note by Wild is highly relevant in light of Spencer-Smith and Mackintosh later succumbing to scurvy before the others.

  Spencer-Smith:

  12 Nov: Turned west after lunch and after 200 yards found myself 10 ft down a crevasse: caught O.M.’s rope as I went and nearly pulled him down too. Wild went in up to his waist.

  It seemed a long time before I finished falling – only sensation one of wonders as to when I’d stop descending. Couldn’t see the bottom and it seemed to stretch a long way along, about the same width all the way.

  Able to brace myself with knees and back, with the O.M. pulling on my lashing hastily brought by Wild. Unpleasant experience and might have been serious as the sledge was in a dangerous position, lying along the line of the crevasse. Laus Deo!††52

  Wild:

  12 Nov: Passed over a lot of crevasses & went right down one, nearly sledge as well. At least Smithy went right down to length of harness. I got caught up just under the armpits & the Skipper was lying across it somehow, behind me. However we got out alright. I fell down after another, what they call Bergschmund‡‡ this morning, i.e. a big open crevasse. A carriage could easily have fallen down it.

  The one Smithy fell down was so deep we couldn’t see the bottom. I threw two or three big lumps of snow down but they only disappeared out of sight in the darkness. His hands were all gone when we got him out. He had to put them in his warming pan.53

  Wild: ‘14 Nov: Arrived back at Safety Camp about three o’clock. Couldn’t find any fresh meat but had jam & onions extra.’54

  15 November 1915

  In mid-November Joyce and Richards had worked out a plan: for Mackintosh’s party to take stores from the Bluff depot to 80°S and then to 81°S, but Joyce’s party (with the dogs) would take stores onto 82°S. The implication with this plan was that he (Joyce) would be the one to go on and lay the final depot at Mount Hope, and not Mackintosh.

  Joyce:

  Decided if dogs are fit on the 4th journey to take on South + sacrifice then as I think they will be the mainstay of the work on ac of the good work they done coming out.

  Richards + I quite agreed and worked out the plans that is the Skipper + party work from 80° to 81° our party carry all stores to 80° + then on to 82°. If not! well? I think we shall carry it out just the same.55

  However, outside his diary notes Joyce was still respectful to Mackintosh. Here is a letter he left at a depot, on 15 November:

  To: Captain Mackintosh, (Leader), Ross Sea Base

  Dear Sir,

  Can you let me know what there is to bring out after the next trip which I suppose to be the last to Safety Camp? I will try to bring out something after the same load as before, weather and surface permitting.

  I remain

  Yours sincerely

  Ernest E Joyce

  PS: Kind regards to Wild S. Spencer-Smith & Self hoping you are in the Pink.56

  25 November 1915

  Mackintosh also left pleasant notes at depots for Joyce, but Joyce described this Mackintosh letter rather unkindly:

  Mackintosh: ‘I am leaving here … I sincerely trust you are all well and I am wrong in surmising that some accident has befallen you. Hoping to meet you soon and please push on for all you are with. Yours sincerely.’57

  Joyce: ‘Arrived at Depot 5-20. Letters from Skipper usual whining tones etc. turned in at 10 o’clock.’58

  Mackintosh and Joyce do not see eye to eye – 28 November 1915

  On 28 November the nine men met up on the Barrier and Joyce spoke with Mackintosh of his plan, but Mackintosh had other ideas. It is not clear from any diary notes but the presumption is that Mackintosh wanted his party to go all the way out to Mount Hope, with Joyce’s party returning, probably at the 82°S depot point.

  Joyce was not impressed but Richards tells us that there was no outward antagonism between these two men, with Joyce always respecting Mackintosh, the commissioned officer. There was nothing in the least hostile in their relationship – Mackintosh was always ‘sir’ to Joyce, who had never lost the typical sailor’s old time respect for authority. Joyce always took commands, and always loyally obeyed instructions.59

  Joyce:

  Skipper came into our tent. Richards + I gave him a really good working plan to go on, but as usual he thinks he knows best, but will find out before long he is in the wrong + on one occasion he tried to ride the usual high horse but I wasn’t having any then he practically accused our party for spoiling his plans but apologised.

  I told him straight, he would be getting into trouble one of these days through his foolishness.

  I never in my experience come across such an idiot to be in charge of men!!60

  Early December 1915

  On 4 December Mackintosh left a letter for Joyce at the Minna Bluff depot congratulating him on his party’s work in laying more provisions than he expected. He issued Joyce with further instructions – to continue laying provisions on to 80°S.

  Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild then pushed on south, to lay more stores at 80°S. Then they would go back to the Bluff depot (70 miles to the north) and restock before turning south again for the final time, aiming for Mount Hope. From late November onwards Spencer-Smith had started to record his ailments and injuries.

  Mackintosh:

  Dear Joyce,

  I was very pleased on my arrival here to find the two good loads your party has brought forward. I must admit they were beyond my expectations.

  On your return trip which I expect will be in advance of us, I want you to carry forward to the 80 South Depot, another full load, equal to that which you have
already depoted here – a 10 weeks full provisions.

  If you will make an effort to manage this & I shall have no cause to feel any anxiety in forwarding the relief as far as possible, the course to the Depot will be N 29 E, but you will find it cairned, the distance is 68 miles.

  We thank you for the books found here.

  Yours faithfully

  AE Mackintosh

  Commander

  Ross Sea Party

  Please don’t forget to bring full supply of this equal to 10 weeks not the others.61

  Spencer-Smith:

  18 Nov: Heavy pulling after our long rest: feel it very much in the ankles.

  2 Dec: Tendons sore again.

  3 Dec: Rather seedy this morning, with left tendon bad.

  14 Dec: a very sore right foot.

  16 Dec: My poor old neb§§ and lips are very sore. Very heavy pulling though the sledge is as light as we’ve had it: the surface is very woolly. Right foot feels better: I removed some dead flesh from big toe (side of nail) last night and that seems to have done the trick.62

  Joyce’s party leave Hut Point for the final time

  Joyce, Richards, Hayward, Jack, Gaze and Cope had continued their depot-laying in October and November with a number of trips out to the Bluff depot and to the smaller depots closer to Hut Point. On 13 December, these six men then left Hut Point for the last time, having now stocked the Bluff depot with between 2,800 and 2,900 lb of provisions.63

  13 December 1915

  Joyce: ‘We got under way at Noon. Had to leave Bitch behind in an interesting condition,¶¶ as our time is limited and I want to get out to the Bluff by the 19th.

  ‘… Thank God this is the last load.’64

  Hayward: ‘Left Hut Pt all fit.’65

  14 December 1915

  Joyce was starting to become disillusioned with two of his party: ‘Had some words with Jack + Gaze. Gaze who was getting too big for his shoes had to be taken down a peg + Jack is like an old gossiping washerwoman. (Least said the soonest mended, needless to say more peace in the party.)’66

  15 December 1915

  Out on the Barrier, 140 miles from Hut Point, Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild laid more stores. These three men then turned around and headed back north to the Minna Bluff depot at 79°S to pick up their last load of stores. (At this time Joyce’s party were approaching the Bluff depot from the north.)

  Spencer-Smith: ‘At 80° South. Took several photos and was taken – with flag – the depot as background. Wild suggested title “First Parson at 80° S”.

  ‘At lunch one of the tent-hoops cracked through so now we are spliced in 7 places & patched like B Esmond.’||||67

  Wild: ‘The rib of the tent broke right off today at the bottom joint. I’ve lashed a bit of bamboo on. It doesn’t look so bad now. I don’t know whether it will stand a blizzard.’68

  22 December 1915

  Held up by a blizzard for a day, Spencer-Smith read, and he was hungry. Hunger craving was at its worst when they were inactive. And there was usually a pattern to their hunger pains, starting with a gnawing emptiness in their stomach so intense it would dominate all thoughts to the point of obsession, a feeling close to panic. Then they felt they could eat anything, even their boots. But they had learnt to recognise this feeling and that it would pass eventually, their mind and body accepting somehow they must go on without immediate nourishment.69

  Spencer-Smith: ‘No travelling. It is now 9pm and we are about to have a little food for the first time since yesterday. It has been slow work, waiting, and every page in ‘A Gentleman of London’ seems to mention eating!’70

  24 December 1915

  Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild slowly laboured their way back.

  Wild:

  7½ miles after a struggle. It cleared up last night & after a light breakfast we got under way about 10 o’clock. Just as we got everything in for the night (day) the Skipper saw the Depot. It’s about six miles away I should say.

  We hope to get there tomorrow Xmas Day, & then What O for a feed.71

  25 December 1915

  Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild came up to the Bluff depot after lunchtime on Christmas Day. Spencer-Smith’s long diary entry extols their day, topped off with a surprise of cigars from Mackintosh:

  Christmas at the Bluff. Slept like a log and had a dream meal of very hot curry and stewed prunes. At lunch the O.M. sprang the surprise of the century on us – 4 cigars, saved from Cape Royds – awfully generous and incredibly acceptable.

  We arrived about 3am & settled down to a ‘glut’ … and we have eaten as much as we had each day for the 4 days past.

  Menu 3 S (supper ration) and 2 Bovril and onions. Thick chocolate cocoa. Biscuits. Streimer.*** Raisons. Feel quite full. Previously my hands used to ‘go’ after half an hour after a meal.

  The others are not here yet; probably they have tried to run it too fine and the wind that helped us kept them back.

  R. foot sore again. Our 4 day fast seems profitable now; and we are thankful to be so well out of it.

  Nous devons beaucoup au Pere Tout puissant qui a entendu mes priere et qui nous a protégés pendant ces jours d’anxiete.†††

  Now that we are safely inside, there is quite a strong S.W. blowing, with drift. There is a delicious smell of tobacco: the Primus is still going to keep us warm, hunger is far away.

  At lunch we sang ‘While Shepherds watched’ and ‘Adeste Fideles’ and Wild gave one verse of ‘Christmas Awake!’. All conduces a little to Heimweh;‡‡‡but only six months should put all right again.

  W.P.§§§ we start south for the last time on the morning of the 26th: 279 miles to go then homeward bound, northwards all the time.

  Evening. Slept like a log (or hog) and woke up at 4am to another meal. Then we went out – still drifting and blowing a bit, but not cold – and dug out all stores (they were pretty deeply in) and loaded our sledge, ready for tomorrow. We shall have a load of about 590 lbs or a bit more to start with. The others are not in sight yet.

  Quite a library of new books found here. ‘The Rogue’s March’, ‘Robinson Crusoe’s Return’ (b. Pain), ‘Intriguer’s Way’, ‘A Drama in Sunshine’.

  10.30pm. We are about to have supper – almost super-erogatory, before turning in. Foot feels better a bit. Temp. +21° F.72

  Wild was missing a drink, but a surprise pipe of cigar tobacco made his day:

  Smithy dreamt he had a good feed last night and actually ate it, so he didn’t want as much as us other two.

  The Skipper had saved up four cigars and has divided them between us. We are smoking them in our pipes. The best smoke for years & years. I still smoke Hut Point mixture but can’t say much for it. This is the second time I have been on short provisions & can’t say much for that either. I hope it will be the last.

  This is the driest Xmas ever I’ve had & I hope it will remain so.73

  27 December 1915

  The final phase then began for Mackintosh, Spencer-Smith and Wild – they left the Bluff depot heading for Mount Hope. That day an unusual event occurred.

  Spencer-Smith: ‘The Christmas Holidays are over and we are on the road again – Southward Ho! A heavy load – an indifferent surface – a cross wind – 6¾ hours work, distance 4 miles 1828 yards only – graft.’74

  Wild:

  A wonderful thing happened this morning. A skua gull¶¶¶ came flying over us and settled in the snow. The Skipper and I got a large bamboo pole each and went for it and most wonderful of all I caught it with a clout when it flew over my head. I fell over myself and knocked the gull over too.

  We have plucked, trussed and washed it and going to try it for dinner tomorrow.75

  Spencer-Smith gave a fuller description:

  At about 11am the O.M suddenly shouted. We looked up and saw a skua gull close by us, about 7 feet in the air. It had probably dropped from the blue on seeing us black specks below and hoping for the best.

  The Skipper outflanked him in the east
armed with a flagpole: Wild in the west, with another bamboo. The bird rose. W struck; fell over but stunned the poor bird.

  Soon dispatched, plucked and drawn by the O.M. It is now hanging (in bits in a bag) high up on the long bamboo. We hope to eat this tomorrow: anti-scorbs.||||||76

  29 December 1915

  Wild:

  As we couldn’t travel we cooked our Xmas Turkey, ie: skua gull and it was A1. I boiled it for 3 hours and then fried it in pemmican fat and it was as tender as a chicken. We had a little dried onions with it, & six raison each for dessert.77

  Spencer-Smith was not as complimentary:

  At 2.30 pm Wild started to cook the skua. It was stewed for 3 hours with a little pemmican (old) and onions and then fried in pemmican fat and served with thin hoosh. Very fat and bilious but none the less nice. Topped off with rich cocoa and a few raisons.78

  30 December 1915

  Wild:

  Last night we heard a row outside & on looking out we saw a skua walking about. The Skipper & I immediately gave chase, with a boot & flagpole each. However it was too artful & wouldn’t let us get near enough to bang it & at last it flew away to the Bluff.79