THE FROZEN SOUTH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 829, 6 October 1916, Page 3

THE FROZEN SOUTH.

COMMAND OF RELIEF PARTY. APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN DAVIS. Press Association. DUNEDIN, October 5. The committees appointed in connection with the Aurora Relief Expedition, after careful consideration of the question of the command of the Exp edition, considered that the most experienced man should be selected. They considered that* with Captain Davis in command, and Captain Stenhouse as chief officer, the chances of success would be enhanced. The committees all agreed with the respective Governments to offer the position of commander of the Boss Sea Belief Expedition, and of the Aurora, to Captain Davis. The Australian Transport Service Department having arranged to relieve him. Captain Davis accepted the appointment. Captain Davis was, during Shackleton's Expedition—l9o7 to 1910— chief officer of the Ninirod, and afterwards was promoted to captain. He made trips to the Boss Sea in the Ninirod. He also commanded the Aurora during Mawson's Expedition, and conspicuous meritorious work on these occasions won for him a special award of the Royal Geographical Society. He also wears the Polar Medal from the British Government.

Captain Davis received a cablegram when at New York (where he was in command of the transport Boonah) from the British Admiralty appointing him to the relief ship Discovery, and to command the Elephant Island Expedition, with orders to report without delay at the Admiralty, London. This appointment was cancelled before he could leave New York, as Sir Ernest Shackleton had obtained another vessel with which he expected to effect the rescue of the Elephant Island party.

OFFICERS RESIGN. VERY EMPHATIC PROTEST. The following letter was yesterday forwarded to the Mayor of Dunedin by the officers of the Aurora, now lying at Port Chalmers:—"We, the undersigned, as the three remaining officers of the Aurora, should like our appreciation of the services of Captain Stcnhouse to the expedition and ourselves placed on record, and to earnestly protest against the action taken by the committee in superseding his command. Such an action by those with an intimate knowledge of the captain's abilities and sentiments is unexplainable. No strangers could possibly have the same feeling in the rescue of their comrades in the South as Captain Stenhouse and ourselves. It is this .sense of loyalty and this sense only to our commander and the marooned party that has kepi us from taking part in the European crisis. It is with great reluctance that we feel bound lo withdraw our services from the relief of our comrades in distress and leave it to strangers, should the authorities insist on the superseding of our present commander. We also take exception to the discourteous manner in which this alteration was conveyed to the captain, whom we know to be a worthy leader in danger and difficulty, alter t(> months of hardship in the Antarctic. We should be grateful if you would place this in such hands as lo receive justice and immediate attention."