Frank Wild Lost No More. The unveiling of a Blue Plaque.

Frank Wild CBE was one of the greatest Antarctic heroes of all time.  The indomitable Yorkshire born Edwardian traveller tackled the frozen continent with Sir Ernest Shackleton three times during the heroic age of the 1900’s, and is renowned for his roles in the legendary Nimrod and Endurance expeditions. He also joined Cpt Robert Scott on the Discovery 1901 voyage and Sir Douglas Mawson’s Australasian voyage of 1911. He was the only man to have wintered in Antarctica on six occasions.

Born in Skelton, Yorkshire and the second born of 13 children, at the age of 11 the family moved to Eversholt in Bedfordshire where his father was offered the Mastership of the local school.

By the age of 16 Wild joined the merchant navy and spent 10 years in ‘the school of hard knocks’ before joining the Royal Navy and  Scott on the Discovery.  It was the start of a glittering career.

Following his final expedition the Quest, In 1922 Wild emigrated to South Africa with his newly wed wife, Vera Altman. The subsequent 16 years were not always easy. Altman asked for a divorce and his farming venture failed. However he went on to marry Beatrice Rowbotham and his final happy years were cut short when he died at the age of 66 of pneumonia in the town of Klerksdorp.

It was said that after his Antarctic days Wild became lost in life and then in death.

After seven years of research Wild’s ashes were discovered in a vault in Johannesburg by Ice Tracks’ director Angie Butler and our expedition company had the honour of returning them to be buried alongside ‘The Boss’ Sir Ernest Shackleton in Grytviken, South Georgia. Since then Wild has come back into the well deserved lime light and a highlight of some of our longer voyages is visiting the cemetery to pay our respects to two great men.

To date several plaques have been unveiled but none as significant as the Blue Plaque unveiled on April 18th 2016, Frank Wild’s birthday. His brother Ernest is also recognised for his pivotal role in the Ross Sea Party Expedition that laid the depots for Shackleton’s traverse.

The Blue plaque now stands on the front of the School House, Eversholt, Bedfordshire, the house given to Wild’s father Benjamin, as Headmaster of the Infant school. It was happy times for Wild and his siblings  and  he often returned to the warmth of his family and the house between expeditions.

The Blue Plaque project overseen by historian Trevor Steward, was no mean feat and it was delightful to see many significant people at the unveiling not least many Ice Trackers including Anne Phillips, grand daughter of Aneas MacIntosh of the Ross Sea party, Robin April Stork a relative of the Wilds, Debby Horsman a relative of Rev Arnold Spencer-Smith with her husband Terry. Peter Haywood great nephew of Victor Hayward also attended and how fitting that these relatives and descendants could all be there. Haywood, MacIntosh and Spencer-Smith lost their lives on the Ross Sea Party expedition.  Ernest Wild survived it and showed extraordinary courage and compassion when looking after these men.

We continue to remember these great men and there will never be a more perfect opportunity to honour the grand finale of the Heroic Age on Shackleton’s Final Quest voyage in 2022. It will be a celebration as never seen before.