Grave, South Georgia

NE00489

Grave, South Georgia

Feb/Mar 1998

The grave of Sir Ernest Shakleton, Grytviken, South Georgia. On his last expedition to the Antarctic in 1922, Shackleton planned the circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent. Under great mental and physical stress, he died on 22nd January aboard the ship the "Quest" aged 47, and his wife insisted he be buried on the Islands. Previously in 1914 Sir Ernest Shackleton and his British Trans-Antarctic Expedition left London on their ship 'Endurance', and headed to the Antarctic. They stayed at Grytviken in South Georgia for a month before making their fateful journey to the Weddell Sea on December 5th 1914.The 'Endurance' became trapped, and was eventually destroyed, forcing Shackleton and his crew to set sail in lifeboats to Elephant Island. Shackleton and five others then undertook an 800 mile voyage to South Georgia, where they had to traverse unmapped glaciers and mountains before coming to the safety of Stomness harbour. To Shackleton's credit, not one crew member lost his life.The chief bearer at the funeral of Earnest Shackleton was James 'Sodger' Brown of King Harald Street, Lerwick.

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