Medals of Sir Ernest Shackleton

[seaJane]

*waves at former RN @Lawryleslie* you will be pleased to know that the Admiralty Librarian shares your admiration for Shackleton over Scott, but also has a soft spot for (Rear Admiral Sir) Edward Parry RN in the 19th century. In three Arctic attempts I believe he only lost one man, despite being shipwrecked and iced in.

 

 

 

Edited 29 January , 2018 by seaJane

[MBrockway]

Let's not forget William Spiers Bruce and the 1902-04 Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. 

 

The only man lost was lost to pre-existing heart disease and the scientific work was certainly on a par with any of Scott's expeditions and Bruce was held in high regard by Nansen.  Yet none of the members got the Polar Medal due (*probably*) to a spat with Clements Markham.  Unfair!

[Kitchener's Bugle]

Shackleton was specially appointed a temporary major on 22 July 1918. From October 1918 he served with the North Russia Expeditionary Force in the Russian Civil War under the command of Major-General (later Field Marshal Lord) Ironside, with the role of advising on the equipment and training of British forces in arctic conditions.  For his "valuable services rendered in connection with Military Operations in North Russia" Shackleton was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1919 King's Birthday Honours, and was also mentioned in despatches by General Ironside.  Shackleton returned to England in early March 1919,  full of plans for the economic development of Northern Russia. In the midst of seeking capital, his plans foundered when Northern Russia fell to Bolshevik control. He was finally discharged from the army in October 1919, retaining his rank of major.

 

British decorations

Knight Bachelor (1909)

Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO, 1909; MVO 4th Class: 1907)

Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (OBE, 1918)

Polar Medal (1904; with clasp for Nimrod Expedition: 1909)

British War Medal (1918)

Allied Victory Medal (1918, with MID)

 

Other decorations

Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog of Denmark (1909)

Knight of the Order of the Polar Star of Sweden (1909)

Knight of the Order of St. Olav of Norway (1909)

Officer of the Legion of Honour of France (1909)

Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy (1910)

Order of St. Anna, 3rd Class, of Russia (1910)

Order of the Crown of Prussia, 3rd Class (1911)

Officer of the Chilean Order of Merit (1916)

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-34229633