City Man's Recollections Of Scott's Last Voyage

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29725, 19 January 1962, Page 11

City Man's Recollections Of Scott's Last Voyage

The members of Scott's last expedition which left Lyttelton in the Terra Nova on November 26. 1910. were working against time to complete preparations and had little time for relaxation, according to Mr G A. C. Whitford, of Christchurch, who was employed as a foreman shipwright with J. D Miller. Ltd., the firm which refitted the shin after its vovage from England However, on the day the ship left Lyttelton, the strain of the preceding weeks of frantic preparations caught up with Petty Officer E Evans, the first of Scott’s companions to die on the way back from the South Pole. "He got drunk and fell overboard as the ship’s company was assembling for the official photographs, and that is the reason why he is missing from the company. He was sleeping it off." said Mr Whitford. Mr Whitford, who also worked on the Discovery for Scott’s first voyage in 19011902. remembers Captain Scott as a “thorough English gentleman. Although I saw him every day. the only contact I had with him was when we discussed the job." he said. "He was very nice and always considerate. Al! his officers were, too.” While working on the Terra Nova. Mr Whitford made many friends among the crew. They enabled him to build up what is probably the most comprehensive private collection of articles from Scott’s last expedition The collection, displayed in a glass case in the hall of Mr Whitford’s home, includes a

magnificent Emperor penguin; samples of granite from Mount Erebus and McMurdo Sound; a pack of cards which belonged to Petty Officer Eavns; a box of matches from One Ton Camp (Scott and his party died 11 miles from that camp), a sealskin belt and a seal's flipper; a shackle from one of the sledges; an imitation spade guinea and a spoon and seal-skinning knife from the Terra Nova; photographs of the ship's company; several autographs and a photograph of Scott and his companions: and a letter from Victoria Land. Mr Whitford, who will be 79 next month, retired in 1946. His interest in collecting dates from about 1914. Since then he has collected and given away many types of curios.