British Trans-Arctic Expedition, 1966-69—Wally Herbert's signed ice axe, with a photograph album and naval cap

British Trans-Arctic Expedition, 1966-69—Sir Walter "Wally" Herbert

Sir Wally Herbert's ice axe from the British Trans-Arctic Expedition (1966-1969), together with an album of photographs of the expedition, and a naval cap

i.Ice axe belonging to Wally Herbert, inscribed and signed on the wooden shaft by all members of the expedition team, 1065mm. in length;

ii. Album of the expedition, 55 photographs, between 55 x 120mm. and 216 x 169mm. each, on card mounts, many mounted 2 per page, many captioned in pencil or ballpoint pen, including photograph signed in ballpoint pen by Wally Herbert and other expedition members, contemporary blue morocco folio album, a few light stains to photographs and mounts, some light wear to album;

iii. Naval cap, originally belonging to Chief Petty Officer Wood of the H.M.S. Endurance

INCLUDING THE ICE AXE CARRIED BY WALLY HERBERT AND HIS TEAM DURING THE FIRST FULLY RECOGNISED JOURNEY ON FOOT TO THE GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE, SIGNED BY ALL FOUR EXPEDITION MEMBERS.

Both the ice axe and the album of photographs of the expedition were once gifted to CPO Wood, who was "aboard the H.M.S. Endurance when she picked the team off the sea-ice" (Spink: 200 Years of Polar Exploration, p. 238)

Sir Walter "Wally" Herbert has been described by legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes as "the greatest polar explorer of our time", whilst for Prince Philip, the achievements of the British Trans-Arctic Expedition "rank amongst the greatest triumphs of human skill and endurance". Such superlatives are more than justified. As Herbert himself noted, there is "no record of a longer sustained journey in the history of polar exploration" (Geographical Journal, December 1970).

Herbert challenged Robert Peary's claim to have reached the North Pole in 1909, on the basis of a 1909 diary and set of astronomical observations which had been hitherto unavailable to scholarship. Thus, "Herbert's team became the first men fully recognised for walking to the North Pole, on the 60th anniversary of Robert Peary's famous, but disputed expedition (200 Years of Polar Exploration, p. 238). As a result of their successful feat of endurance, which involved covering 3720 statute route miles and spending 476 days on the ice, the four expedition members were awarded the Polar Medal with Clasp Arctic.

LITERATURE:

Spink: 200 Years of Polar Exploration, pp. 237-238