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From:
Glenn McIntosh
Date: 24 Apr 2003
Time: 23:09:00
Remote Name: 210.84.184.235
Paul Thanks for those comments. The reason I am interested is I am trying to establish the truth or otherwise of the following excerpt from a handwritten page held at the Newcastle Maritime Museum, written by a retired shipwright. It is titled 'Recollections of Duncan McIntosh' an 'old Scotch Shipwright' and contains memories from the early 1950's. "On that job he told me about the time he went to the south pole to search for Shackleton, went down in an old Norwegian built steamer 'Wyatt Earp', when they got into the ice they had the misfortune to knock a blade off the prop, to get around the problem of fitting a new prop all the supplies they were carrying had to be moved as far forward as possible as all her machinery was right aft and her stern had to be lifted enough to get at her tail shaft. When this was accomplished the ice was allowed to form around and used as a platform to work off, the prop was changed stores moved aft and the voyage continued." Minimum research has shown me that the reference to the 'Wyatt Earp' is an obvious flaw as it belonged to a different era in Antarctic exploration. I believe that this memory is based on fact though. Duncan McIntosh was a man of few words and didn't need to fabricate stories to embellish his seafaring days. In fact he never mentioned his past to any of his three children other than vague references to Antarctica, Alaska etc. I have established he spent one year (Sept 1916 - Aug 1917) aboard the four masted barquentine 'Sound of Jura' during a visit to South Georgia. 'Sound of Jura' was owned by the Southern Whaling and Sealing Co. and used to transport stores and product to and from their Prince Olav Harbour whaling operation. On this particular voyage it appears they were involved in the construction of the shore station at Prince Olav Harbour. (entry in Frank Hurley's diary 29th March 1917). This particular time period also could not co-incide with the ice - propeller incident, but should give some credibility to what he may have said.
Glenn