RARE 1920 letter written and signed ERNEST SHACKLETON, Polar Explorer

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

RARE 1920 letter written and signed ERNEST SHACKLETON, Polar Explorer:
$701.00

Antarctica -A most interesting letter written and signed by Ernest Shackleton, the polar explorer. Datelined \"Marlborough Club, Pall Mall, London, April 27th 1920\", the letter is addressed to The Bavis (Shoe)Company, Basingstoke, and Shackleton is providing a positive review of the \"Bavis Uppers and Driped Soles\" that were used byhim in North Russia in \"such severe conditions\" and suggests that the company can use his comments to help promote their products.

Shackleton returned home from the Endurance Expedition in May 1917. He was soon dispatched for military service, first to South America and then to North Russia. He was posted as Major, with the North Russian Expeditionary force in charge of supplies.
Shackleton was sent to Murmansk and Archangel with sledges, dogs and polar equipment. He was to join a British expeditionary force for a winter campaign to fight the Bolshevik and German forces.
Shackleton was joined by, among others, Hussey, Macklin and Worsley, three friends and shipmates from the Endurance expedition and by Stenhouse, the Chief Officer of Aurora.

The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–17), also known as the Endurance Expedition, is considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. After the conquest of the South Pole by Roald Amundsen in 1911, this crossing from sea to sea remained, in Shackleton\'s words, the \"one great main object of Antarctic journeyings\". The expedition failed to accomplish this objective, but became recognised instead as an epic feat of endurance.Shackleton had served in the Antarctic on Captain Scott\'s Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and had led the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907–09. In this new expedition he proposed to sail to the Weddell Sea and to land a shore party near Vahsel Bay, in preparation for a transcontinental march through the South Pole to the Ross Sea. A supporting group, the Ross Sea party, would meanwhile travel to the opposite side of the continent, establish camp in McMurdo Sound, and from there lay a series of supply depots across the Ross Ice Shelf to the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. These depots would be essential for the transcontinental party\'s survival, as the party would not be able to carry enough provisions for the entire crossing. The expedition required two ships: Endurance under Shackleton for the Weddell Sea party, and Aurora, under Captain Aeneas Mackintosh, for the Ross Sea party.Endurance became beset in the ice of the Weddell Sea before reaching Vahsel Bay, and despite efforts to free it, drifted northward, held in the pack ice, throughout the Antarctic winter of 1915. Eventually the ship was crushed and sank, stranding its 28-man complement on the ice. After months spent in makeshift camps as the ice continued its northwards drift, the party took to the lifeboats to reach the inhospitable, uninhabited Elephant Island. Shackleton and five others then made an 800-mile (1,287 km) open-boat journey in the James Caird to reach South Georgia using a Thomas Mercer chronometer. From there, Shackleton was eventually able to mount a rescue of the men waiting on Elephant Island and bring them home without loss of life. On the other side of the continent, the Ross Sea party overcame great hardships to fulfil its mission. Aurora was blown from her moorings during a gale and was unable to return, leaving the shore party marooned without proper supplies or equipment. Nevertheless the depots were laid, but three lives were lost in the process.

Please scroll down below the description to see all the scans.

Please note that all mailings containing items with a total value of over £85 ($140) must be sent by tracked mail in order to be covered by insurance. Costs are shown in the \"Postage\" section below.

We are selling some interesting items on at the moment. Please check out our other listings.

We accept MASTERCARD and VISA credit cards and if you wish to pay by this method please send the first two sets of the credit card number by one email, and the second two sets, the expiry date and the 3-number security code by a second email. You can also fax us your number on +44-208-941-5176 or leave details on voicemail at +44-208-873-2854. Please note that credit card charges are made in Pounds sterling and we use the exchange conversion rate.

We accept Paypal.

We also accept cashier cheques and personal cheques drawn on a U.K. bank, and, with prior agreement only, we will accept cheques drawn on non-UK accounts. Cheques should be made out to \"Scotia Philately Ltd\" and sent to the following address - Scotia Philately Ltd., P.O. Box 279, Hampton Court, East Molesey, Surrey KT8Y 9WR, U.K.

Postage

Please note that all sendings over £85/ $140 must be sent by tracked mail in order to be covered by insurance. Mail within the UK containing material valued from £85 to £150 will be sent by Recorded Delivery (£2/$3.20), and by Special Delivery (£6.50/$10.50) above that amount. Items below £85 are sent at NO CHARGE by first class post.

Mail outside the UK containing material valued above £85/$140 will be sent by the \'Royal Mail International Signed For\' service, \"AIRSURE\" where possible(£8.50/$13.60). Items below £85/$140 are sent by regular airmail post (£2.25/$4.20).

The above prices include packaging in special board backed envelopes and are for sendings up to 100 grams. Heavier packages are charged pro rata at cost. Buyers can, of course, elect to upgrade the mail service, i.e. choose Special Delivery instead of Recorded Delivery