ANTARCTIC HERO.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 September 1916, Page 6

ANTARCTIC HERO.

FRANK WILD'S ACHIEVEMENTS. When the full story of the hardships and perils faced by the members of tie Shackleton Expedition who were marooned on Elephant Island comes to be told there is little doubt that it will be found to form one of the most thrilling chapters iu the history of Antarctic adventure. Frank Wild, to whose fine leadership Sir Ernest Shackleton attributes the safety of the explorers, and whose conduct has evoked the King's admiration, is not Australian, as many suppose, but an Englishman. On four occasions npw has he distinguished himself in the South, and Scott, Shackleton and Mawson, under each of whom he has served, have nil singled Mm out for special commendation. Hailing -from Yorkshire, where he was oorn 43 years ago, Wild entered the merchant service in ISS9, and eleven years late joined the Navy. His first experience of the Antarctic was gained as a mpmbcr of Scott's expedition in K'Ol-04, during which he served on an extended sledge journey. Returning to England, he was sent'to the Sheerness Gunnery School, and was there when the Admiralty consented tp his appointment to the Shackleton expedition of 1007-01). On that occasion he was one of the three men whom Sir Ernest SlmcWeton selected to go on the southern journey. Two years later he joined the Australasian expedition under Sir Douglas Mawson, who thought so much of his skill ami resourcefulness as an explorer that he appointed him leader of the western party, the work of which is detained in a chapter written by Wild for Mawson's book, "The Home of the Blizzard."

Wild lias been described as the greatest authority on crevasses in the Antarctic. He certainly should know something' about them, for he has gone tumbling down them often enough. There is really no variety of danger that he has not found himself up against amid the snows and glaciers of the South, and he has had so many close . i-ails that he has come to the conclusion that fate has some other death in store for him.

It will interest Australians (says the Sydney Sun) to know that Wild's mother was a direct de-cent of Captain Cook. One of his uncles was identified with Polar exploration, and made three visits to the Arctic region.