Edgar Evans, the ‘Welsh Giant’

7 Dec

I have just seen the book cover of my book on Edgar Evans. In his picture Edgar looks every inch the ‘Welsh Giant’, a man of whom Wales can be proud.

Sadly, the only memorial to Edgar in Wales was commissioned by Edgar’s widow, Lois Evans. There was no national memorial. This was probably because some London newspapers blamed Edgar for slowing the progress of the British party on their ill-fated return and so causing the deaths of the men he so admired, an ill-founded suggestion that took years to refute.

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Antarctic exhibition in the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace

29 Nov

I love this exhibition. It shows the photographs of Frank Hurley and Herbert Ponting. The images are very different. Hurley’s were made under conditions of great stress when “Endurance” was caught in the ice and then when the crew were drifting on ice floes for well over a year. Ponting was a wonderful professional photographer; Hurley was not, but made a matchless record of the Endurance and her crew.

Both created memorable scenes. Ponting’s picture of the “Terra Nova” through the window of an iceberg imprints itself on the memory, whilst Hurley’s photograph of the brilliantly lit Endurance in the black Antarctic winter is an unforgettable image.

Ponting did a “mock-up” of the expedition members sitting round a Nansen cooker in a tent before they set off on their ill-fated journey to the South Pole. In this image “Taf” Evans, “Birdie” Bowers, Edward Wilson and Captain Scott smile optimistically at each other.

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Scott’s last expedition. One hundred years ago to-day.

24 Nov

Scott’s party of sixteen were progressing over the Ross ice barrier. It was snowing a little, but soon bands of blue sky soon broke through. The snow surface was tiring, at each step the men broke through by two or three inches. The first pony was shot providing food for 20 dogs. As planned, Day and Hooper turned for home, their work done. The mood was cautiously optimistic. Scott wrote, ‘I feel we ought to get through now’.

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Swansea remembers Edgar Evans 100years after his death.

10 Nov

Edgar Evans was denigrated by many after his death, because, it was alledged, he was unable to keep pace with his companions on the fearful return and held the British party up, so causing of the deaths of the whole group.

It took years for Edgar to regain his rightful place in British Antarctic history, but now Swansea is celebrating the life of her famous son.

There is to be a service in St Mary’s Church on Friday 17th February 2012, to be followed by a conference in the Swansea Museum on the 18th.

A ‘must’ for those interested in local history and in Edgar Evans, a man who was of great credit to his country.

15 Oct

It is wonderful to see actual images taken by Scott on his final attempt at The South Pole. Scott and some of his colleagues were instructed in the art of photography by the Camera Artist of the expedition, Herbert Ponting (who was not part of the final assault on the Pole),and became adept with colour filters, telescopic lenses and orthochromatic plates. He took some wonderful, action-filled images as well as panoramic views.
David Wilson (Dr Edward Wilson’s great nephew) has published ‘The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott’

Biographies of men who supported Robert Scott in Antarctica.

6 Oct

It is interesting to see that the focus of works on British exploration in Antarctica in the early 1900s has now widened to include biographies of men who supported their leaders so significantly. Recent biographies include works on Frank Wild, Dr Reginald Koettlitz (of the ‘Discovery’ expedition), Dr Edward Wilson of ‘Discovery’ and ‘Terra Nova’ and P.O.Edgar Evans who also followed Scott on both these expeditions. A work on Vince who died on Scott’s first expedition is awaited, as well as a biography of ‘Birdie’ Bowers.
It is great to know that these men, four of whom lost their lives in Antarctica, are now receiving proper attention and appreciation.

Exciting International Meeting in Jaffrey 2012

6 Oct

Next year Robert Stephenson of the ‘Antarctic Circle’ will be hosting a symposium the focus of which will be 90% Antarctic. It will be held in his home town of Jaffrey, New Hampshire USA and will be for all those interested in matters Antarctic. Some authors will talk on their works and this will be a great opportunity to meet like minded enthusiasts.
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Antarctic explorers Dr Edward Wilson and Chief Petty Officer Edgar Evans

23 Sep

My interest in Antarctica started when I was a junior doctor in St George’s Hospital London, where the Antarctic explorer Dr Edward Wilson had been a student seventy years previously.

He was a wonderful artist and St George’s had many of his paintings. I became fascinated by him and wrote a biography of this remarkable man. As I wrote the book I became interested in the lives of the Ratings, the sailors, who obeyed orders, kept cheerful and kept the expeditions going.

I have now written the biography of Chief Petty Officer Edgar Evans. This is to be published by The History Press in January 2011.

Not only did Edgar go with Scott on both his Antarctic expeditions of 1901 and 1910, he was also the first to die on the ill-fated return from the Pole and was – most unfairly in my opinion – blamed by many for the demise of his four companions.

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Edgar Evans’ memorial at Rhosilli

21 Sep

Anyone visiting the Gower Peninsula should spend some time in the church in the village of Rhosilli. Here, in this beautiful little church, there is a poignant memorial to P.O. Edgar Evans. It is worthy of notice, firstly as an impressive testament of Edgar’s wife Lois’ firm loyalty and faith in her husband when others were denigrating him. Secondly for the interest in the two errors on the memorial: the line from Tennyson’s Ulysses is incorrectly quoted and the British explorers are depicted with one(rather than two), ski sticks.
A little jem!

Scott’s last expedition — cigarette cards as collectables

21 Sep

At a recent society meeting in Essendon, the audience was interested in some original cigarette cards from 1913. These illustrated all aspects of Scott’s last expedition whilst the set was complete, the only significant figure left out of the series was Chief Petty Officer Edgar Evans, who some felt at that time to be responsible for the failure of the Polar Team to return.
We now know, from greater understanding of the severity of the conditions in the Antarctic that they all suffered from the same problems: lack of food, extreme cold, dehydration, but Edgar, being the biggest showed the effects soonest.

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