Over a year ago there was correspondence in this blog over Professor Sienicki’s paper on the subject of the temperature on the Antarctic Ice Barrier as Scott and his companions made their fated return and the role of the temperature in relation to Scott and his companion’s deaths. The paper put forward the idea that Scott and Bowers, having decided on suicide, fraudulently doctored the Barrier temperature recordings on the last part of their return, so as to suggest unusually cold weather. The authors suggested that an important motive for doing this was that Scott was fearful of powerful enemies in Britain who had slandered both himself and Lieutenant Royds over the latter’s meteorological results from the ‘Discovery’ expedition.
In May 2014 Kristoffer Nelson-Kilger defended the team’s conclusions and mentioned a book “Captain Scott’s Fatal Antarctic Expedition- Slanted Truths–Centennial Account’ which was to be published.
I refuted the suggestion as did Karen May, a polar researcher who has gone minutely into Scott’s last expedition; her detailed and strong reply (7 pages), was posted on 02/05/14.
I have been looking out for the definitive book but as yet have not seen it, or been sent a copy. I am interested in knowing, when this book, which in my opinion goes against the evidence and which makes suggestions contrary to the characters of Scott and Bowers (not to mention Edward Wilson who was with the mion the final part of the expedition), will appear.
Isobel Williams – Author, Cruise Speaker and Lecturer 