Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

Second-in-command to Shackleton, Frank Wild had prior experience exploring Antarctica and had explored with Shackleton in the past. Lansing characterizes him as almost preternaturally calm and a master of rational, analytical thinking. While Shackleton was notoriously self-reliant, he respected Wild’s judgment and experience and left him in charge of the 21 men on Elephant Island while attempting the rescue mission to South Georgia. 

Wild was the oldest of 11 children, and, like Shackleton, he joined the Navy at the age of 16. According to Lansing, he was a master of intuitive leadership and invented creative methods of entertainment for the men, ranging from talent shows to fabricating holidays for the purpose of holding festive dinners for the crew.

Captain of the Endurance, Frank Worsley was originally from New Zealand. Lansing suggests that his brilliant navigational skills were priceless to the expedition, especially after the Endurance was crushed by ice floes and the crewmembers were adrift on ice floe camps in the Antarctic. He was not an inherently gregarious individual; however, the men came to respect his talent as time went on. He was particularly critical during the trek from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island, when he maintained course amid 50-foot waves and treacherous winds. Although Shackleton was a very self-contained individual, he did confide in Worsley regarding his doubts relative to his leadership skills during the trip to South Georgia.

Thomas Crean was born on a farm on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland. He joined the Royal Navy at 15 by lying about his age, and he volunteered to join a discovery expedition to Antarctica in 1901. Shackleton chose him as a member of the party that made the voyage across Drake’s Passage to South Georgia Island in order to obtain assistance for their comrades left behind on Elephant Island. In Lansing’s telling, Crean was possessed of a quick wit and amicable temperament that rendered him one of the backbones of the expedition. 

A native Englishman, Dr. Alexander Macklin was a highly educated physician. He became very attached to his sled dogs but was intellectual enough to accept the fact that they had to be shot in order to preserve food stores for the crew.

Dr. James McIlroy was an experienced surgeon. When Blackboro, a stowaway, developed gangrene on Elephant Island, McIlroy performed the amputation under makeshift conditions in one of the tents. Blackboro survived the surgery and returned to England with the remainder of the crew.

James Hurley was the official photographer for the Endurance expedition.

The often curmudgeonly Thomas Orde-Lees was the storekeeper for the expedition. Fearing death of starvation, Orde-Lees dispensed food parsimoniously to the men even when stores were plentiful, prior to being reprimanded by Shackleton.

Harry McNeish was the carpenter who improved living conditions for the crew following the loss of the Endurance.