Commander Worsley - Akaroa, New Zealand
Posted by: 
arby101ca
S 43° 48.569 E 172° 57.666
59G E 657733 N 5147418
A bronze bust of Commander Frank Arthur Worsley, DSO and Bar, OBE, RNR, looks out at the sea in a small park near Akoroa's main wharf. He is dressed in a thick woollen hood suitable for Antarctic exploration. The plaque quoted below explains why.
Waymark Code: WMG3QZ
Location: South Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 01/08/2013
Views: 6
"Commander Worsley was the captain of the Endurance which was crushed in the ice during Shackleton's Antarctic Expedition 1914-1916. He navigated the 23 ft James Caird 800 miles to South Georgia in an epic voyage. Subsequently all 28 crew were rescued. He was born and raised in Akaroa in 1872 and died in England in 1943."
The simple words on the plaque are an understatement of his heroic achievements, first getting the crew in three small boats to Elephant Island Island, then the epic feat of seamanship and navigation sailing across the Antarctic Ocean to South Georgia. Then they had to cross the island to get to the whaling station. The crossing by Worsley, Shackleton, and crewman Tom Crean involved glacier travel over up 10,000 ft pass, back down to sea level, and then up over a second 10,000 ft pass and down to the Stromness whaling station in 36 hours. The fact that Worsley could accomplish this rescue is an outstanding heroic achievement. Worsley was awarded a DSO and a Bar for his heroic exploits in WWI.
The bust in Worsley's honour was unveiled in 2004. The sculptor was Stephen Gleeson of Christchurch.
I have a mountaineering friend who recently did the Shackleton Traverse with mountain guides with Everest experience. As an experienced mountaineer, with good weather and modern ski mountaineering gear, she found it difficult traverse and has utmost regard for the men on this rescue mission almost 100 years ago.
Visit Instructions:
You must have visited the site in person, not online.
Recent Visits/Logs:
| There are no logs for this waymark yet. |
|
|
|