EXPLORATION IN ANTARCTIC

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21867, 21 August 1936, Page 11

EXPLORATION IN ANTARCTIC

BRITISH EXPEDITION THIS YEAR DISCOVERY OF TERRITORY EXPECTED PHOTOGRAPHS AND DATA FOR EMPIRE AIR ROUTES (UKITSD PKBS3 ASSOCIATION —COPIBIGHT.) (Received August 20, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, August 19. The “Daily Telegraph” understands that a British Empire photographic expedition is going to the Antarctic at the end of the autumn. It is completing negotiations for the purchase of the research ship Discovery.

The expedition intends to explore 3500 miles of coast between Princess Elizabeth Land and Banzare Land, the greater part of which is unexplored territory. The expedition hopes to discover territory which will be christened King Edward the Eighth Land and Princess Margaret Rose Land. It is planning aerial surveys of Pacific islands and radio installation at Tristan da Cunha, a small island in the Atlantic about half-way between Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope. Mr Ernest Walker, the organiser, who accompanied the geological expedition in 1931, promises to give Imperial Airways- photographs and data of.value in planning Empire air routes.

The master of the Discovery will be Commander F. A. Worsley. The voyage will last two years and will cost £20,000. Mr Walker says: “If we do not buy the Discovery she will probably be sold to a Continental trading company, which would be a sad fate for the historic ship.” [Commander Worsley was master of Shackleton’s ship Endurance on the 1907-09 expediti*" On Shackleton’s second expedition (1914-16) the vessel had to - be abandoned in the Wedaeh Sea after being crushed by the ice. The members of the expedition reached Elephant Island. From nere Shackleton and some of his companions, in one of the ship’s boats, roughly decked with wood from packing cases, made a remarkable voyage to South Georgia for help. Commanaer Worsley was navigator of the boat. On his return from this adventure Commander Worsley was lent to the War Office, and became director of Arctic equipment transport on the Archangel front. In 1921 he was sailing master and hydrographer in the Quest, and was joint leader of the British Arctic expedition of 1925.1