Chief engineer -
Discovery 1901-04
Reginald Skelton had served with Scott aboard the
Majestic, Scott's posting immediately prior to the Discovery
Expedition when the two men grew to know each other well. Like
several others of the officers and crew who joined the Antarctic
journey from this ship, Scott was impressed with his manner and
abilities.
Skelton came from Norfolk and had joined the navy
as an engineer-student in 1887, he had risen to the position of
senior engineer on the Majestic so the Discovery
posting was a promotion as well as a new adventure. Scott continued
to be impressed with Skelton's duties throughout the expedition (he
had been one of the first men that Scott had asked for when
assembling the ship's company) and there were no serious
difficulties with any of the machinery under Skelton's care
throughout.
Once in Antarctica and particularly in the winter,
there was less need for Skelton to be active as ship's engineer, so
like many other men, he assumed other duties for the good of the
expedition. He became "photographer-in-chief" to the expedition and
produced some of the best pictures of Antarctica obtained up to that
date.
Landmarks named after Reginald Skelton
Feature Name:
Skelton
Inlet
Type: stream
Latitude: 78°54´S
Longitude: 162°15´E
Description: An ice-filled inlet at the terminus of Skelton
Glacier, along the western edge of Ross Ice Shelf. The feature is
about 10 mi wide at the entry points between Cape Timberlake and
Fishtail Point. Discovered by the British National Antarctic
Expedition, 1901-04.
Feature Name:
Skelton Glacier
Type: glacier
Latitude: 78°35´S
Longitude: 161°30´E
Description: Large glacier flowing from the polar plateau
into Ross Ice Shelf at Skelton Inlet. Named after Skelton Inlet by
the N.Z. party of the CTAE, 1956-58. The glacier was chosen in 1957
as the N.Z. party's route from the Ross Ice Shelf to the polar
plateau.
Feature Name:
Skelton
Icefalls
Type: glacier
Latitude: 78°14´S
Longitude: 158°19´E
Description: Prominent icefalls extending in an arc some 15
mi from Portal Mountain to the N end of Warren Range, in Victoria
Land. Named by US-ACAN in 1964 in association with Skelton Névé and
Skelton Glacier.
Feature Name:
Skelton
Névé
Type: glacier
Latitude: 78°20´S
Longitude: 160°00´E
Description: The immense névé of the Skelton Glacier, lying
on the W side of the Royal Society Range. Almost circular in
outline, it is about 40 miles in diameter and has an area of about
1,300 square miles. Surveyed by New Zealand parties of the CTAE
(1956-58), who named it for its relationship to the Skelton Glacier.
