Captian Frank Wild.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1922, Page 4

Captian Frank Wild.

A LEADER. OF AfEN

THE QUEST COAfAfANDER

Tin* cabled accounts of the voyage of the Quest have brought before the public of the Dominion one of the most oxperienced of Antarctic voyagers—Commander Frank AYild. Therefore, a short history of his splendid record should prove ..interesting. Born in 1873 in Yorkshire, he entered the merchant service in 1889 and joined the British Navy in 1900. His mother was a direct descendant of Captain Cook, anil 'one of his uncles was three times in the Arctic. He was a member of the British Antarctic expedition of 1901-01 (Polar modal and clasp and Royal Geographical Society’s silver medal), and was' at the Sheerness Gunnery School I when the Admiralty consented to his appointment to the Discovery expedition. It was early in tho expedition's history that lie showed the qualities of n leader, notwithstanding the fact that he was only an able seaman. Shortly after winter quarters had licen established in Al’Murdo Sound, an attempt was made to reach Cape Crazier 'to leave a record to enable any possible relief expedition sailing to the south in the following year to get into touch with till* shore party ol the Discovery. Tt was to this party that Frank AYild was attached, ’i lie part* failed to reach Cape Crazier, and hnl r of the men were sent hack to. the shit while the remainder made a final at tempt to reach their ohiectiv. Tin returning half got into dangerous mini try in a blinding bli’r.nrd, and one of tlic party—Seaman Yiuee—fell over a precipice into the sea below and was drowned. The party reached the ship at winter quarters in an exhausted stale, and Captain Scntt soon discin' erod.thal Frank AYild was the only one who could give a connected account of the tragedy: and right ther. early in his experience ef the Antarctic he was recognised as a man of out standing ability. He rendered good I service to the expediton in iiis lowly capacity.

His next visit to the Antarctic was with Slmckleton's llOf-tth expedition lie was chosen as one of the southern I 1 rly to attempt to reach the south

geographical polo under the leadership el Slinckleton. His parly penetrate to within approximately tti tie ty-.-c veil mil's ol their objective, or latitutk BMi leg 23min S. It was Frank AYild who discovered coal -deposits on the slopes of Mount Buckley at the head of He Bcaidiuorc Glacier on the southern jeliillev.

•Next we liiul him as a member ol He Australasian Antarctic expedition 1911-1 I <.Sir Douglas Mawson), as leaded of the western base party (Queen Alary Land). He established his winter quarters on the Shackleton lei Shelf on the const of Queen Alary Land, and from that point conducted

an extended sledge journey to Gaussberg .Mountain on the coast of Kaiser Wilhelm II Land.

The year 1913 saw Wild once again in the Antarctic, this time with h'ii* Ernest Shackleton in the Endurance. The story is well known of how the vessel was crushed in the ice in the Yl’te <'cll Sen and how the l.'ader exiiicat<H Ins ship’s umijiany in the open boai- and made a landing mi Elephant

Island. It was Erank Wild who, by his consummate skill as a leader and his unending choerincss, held the stranded men together until rescue-.! Bur months later, after-a most miserable existence on seal meat and seali cod.

The year 1921 saw Frank Wild as see >nd in command of the ilowcttShni klcton expedition in tho Quest hound far Antarctic regions once again, On t!ic death of Sir Ernest .Slinckleton at South Georgia in January of this year, lie assumed command of the expedition, and to date lies complete.l siii'ccs*fully a pnrtinn of the programme laid down.

Ilis record is a magnificent one. Frniii Frank Wild. V. 8.. Royal Navy, to ( t.iiiinauder F. Wild, of the Qii"-d ; by shier merit, jiirseveranie. Imre u character and those great qualities he possesses as a leader of men in lh. most dangerous of all exploration effort, his is a record which brings a gl \v to the hearts of all those who are proud ty belong to the lit■il ■s 1 1 race.

Frank Wild's brother, Ernest AYild. was with the Ross Sea section of Slmic kleton's 1915 expedition, and was lalei killed in the Mediterranean Son while mine-sweeping.

Erank Wild served during the one rations at Archangel lo help the White Russians, against the Bolsheviks. Hi ex|)."fience as an ice-jiilot made him of special value in that region.