Thomas Crean (1877-1938) - Biographical notes

Able seaman Discovery 1901-04

Petty officer Terra Nova 1910-13

Second officer Endurance 1914-17

Tom Crean served both Scott and Shackleton and outlived them both.

He was what is often described as "hardbitten" tough, and determined, he had been disrated in the Navy for drunken and inappropriate behaviour for his station and had a less than satisfactory character reference from the Navy. He frequently came across as heavy handed and tactless - forthright - to be more charitable.

His first encounter with Antarctic exploration came with Scott's expedition on the Terra Nova and was a somewhat opportunistic accident. Crean was in Christchurch, New Zealand serving aboard HMS Ringarooma when Scott's "Discovery" was also in port and was in need of an extra crewmember. It was December 1901 and Tom left his own ship to join as a volunteer able seaman. He played a full role in activities ashore including several sledging journey's.

Scott was impressed with Crean's performance, he was promoted to Petty Officer 1st class on his return. Five years later, when Scott was assembling a crew for what was to become his last expedition aboard the Terra Nova, Crean was one of the men he chose first and was appointed as an expert sledger and pony handler.

Tom Crean had thought that he might have been chosen as one of Scott's party to make the final push to the South Pole, but was overlooked in favour of Bowers, a great disappointment to him. As it was, Crean was one of the last men to Scott alive and he was one of those who buried him and his companions in the snow a month later. He accompanied the polar party up the Beardmore Glacier, on the return journey he walked the last difficult 35 miles alone for 20 hours in appalling conditions to get help for a companion (Teddy Evans). For this life saving feat he was awarded the Albert Medal on return to England.

On return from the Terra Nova expedition, he resumed his Naval duties at Chatham, Kent until Shackleton began to recruit for his attempt to cross the continent of Antarctica from coast to coast via the South Pole. Shackleton knew Crean from the Discovery expedition and had no hesitation in taking him south with the expedition. He selected Crean to be one of the party of 6 to make the crossing, it looked like Crean was going to have a chance to reach the pole after all after his disappointment at not being selected by Scott.

The crossing was never to be however, in fact, like Shackleton, Crean was not to even set foot on Antarctica again. The Endurance was trapped in sea-ice and sank leading to the crew needing to reach safety which they did so partly when they arrived at Elephant Island. Crean was one of the men Shackleton selected for the epic boat journey to South Georgia and also to accompany him and Worsley across South Georgia to the whaling station from where the alarm could raised and help begun to be organized for the men trapped on Elephant Island.

Tom Crean and the pony "Bones", just before his 400 mile march
across the Great Ice Barrier.
Scott's Terra Nova Expedition 1910-13

Biography

Tom was one of ten children, he was born on the family farm at Annascaul on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland. Life was hard and so Tom joined the Royal Navy at the age of 15, by the age of 22 in 1899, he had worked his way up to the rank of Petty Officer.

Once again on his return to England, Crean resumed his naval career at Chatham. He married Nell Herlihy in 1917 back in his home town of Anascaul, Nell had been his childhood sweetheart, though they were aged 40 and 36 by the time they married. For the rest of the First World War, Crean served in the Royal Navy aboard HMS Colleen. Shortly after the war ended, Crean was given early retirement at the age of just 42 in 1920 following a bad fall on his ship.

Shackleton wanted Crean to return to Antarctica with him once again on the Quest expedition, but the offer was declined and Tom settled down to married life and raising his family of four daughters.

In 1927 Tom opened a pub in Annascaul that he called "The South Pole Inn", he ran the pub with Nell until 1938 when after falling ill with stomach pains, he was admitted to hospital in nearby Tralee. Acute appendicitis was diagnosed, but no one was available for the simple routine appendectomy and he was transferred to hospital in Cork 80 miles away. The delay led to infection setting in and he died a week later on 27th July 1938 at the age of 61.

He was interred in a tomb he had built himself in the village of Ballynacourty near where he was born. Almost the entire population of Annascaul turned out to show their respect for one of their most famous sons.

The South Pole Inn is still in business as an inn, it is decorated inside with Shackleton and Crean memorabilia. It can be found in the village of Annascaul, County Kerry on the main road between Tralee & Dingle.

References to Tom Crean in Shackleton's book "South!" buy USA   buy UK

Landmarks named after Thomas Crean

Feature Name: Mount Crean
Feature Type: summit
Elevation: 2550
Latitude: 7753S
Longitude: 15930E
Description:  Massive, rocky mountain, 2,550 m, forming the central and highest summit of the Lashly Mountains, in Victoria Land. Named by the NZ-APC.