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Mortimor McCarthy
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DescriptionMortimer (Mort) McCarthy was long time bosun on RANGATIRA.
Photo taken at Wellington on forecastle of that ship in early 1950's. He was born about 1882 in Ireland and went to sea at a young age: it is thought that he may only have been aged 12 - and ended up living in New Zealand where he honed his skills as a seaman. Robert Falcon Scott's TERRA NOVA had departed England but stopped off in New Zealand for repairs and to stock up on supplies and Mort was recruited to join the crew as helmsman crew member taken on in New Zealand. In later years Mortimer's son and grandson we both seamen on New Zealand ships particularly Cook Strait Ferries. TERRA NOVA sailed from New Zealand in November 1910. After landing the expedition parties TERRA NOVA turned for home and arrived back in New Zealand in April 1911.
TERRA NOVA again sailed south with McCarthy. The plan was to return to New Zealand with all the Antarctic expedition members on board but they learned that Scott and 7 of the 16 men who went to the South Pole had not yet returned. In addition, one of their number Lt.Evans was seriously ill. The pack ice was very thick, there were high seas, strong winds and blizzards. They had to abandon the attempt and again headed for New Zealand. This time they encountered the very worst storm while surrounded by icebergs. They eventually reached New Zealand in April 1912.
In December 1912, they embarked on the third voyage to the Antarctic arriving in McMurdo Sound on 18 January 1912. Here they learned that Scott and his 4 companions had died on the return trek from the South Pole. With all survivors safely on board, they turned for home on 26 January 1913. On 10 February they reached New Zealand and the tragic news of the fate of Scott and his party was telegraphed across the world.
Mortimer McCarthy remained with TERRA NOVA for her return to Britain in June, and shortly afterwards he and the other expedition survivors were decorated by King George V- Mortimer received a Silver Polar Medal in recognition of his valiant work as helmsman on the three 5,000 mile voyages during which he lost 2 fingers to frostbite. Mount McCarthy in the Barker Range in the Antarctic, is named after Mortimer. In 1963 at the age of 86 Mortimer returned to the Antarctic as a guest of the US Navy Operation Deep Freeze. At the time he was the oldest person to visit there. He died in 1967.
Mortimer's brother Timothy McCarthy was born in 1888 and was 6 years younger than Mortimer. As a member of the Royal Navy Reserve he served on a guard ship in Cobh (then Queenstown)an joined Shackleton as an able-seaman on the ENDURANCE sailing from London in August 1914, the purpose of the expedition being to cross the icy Antarctic continent from coast to coast via the South Pole -a distance of some 1,800 miles.
In December 1914 they forged through a thousand miles of pack ice. However a sudden drop in temperature caused the pack ice to freeze solid and the ENDURANCE was trapped 100 miles short of the continent of Antartica.
For months the ENDURANCE drifted in the ice, until finally in October Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship. On 21 November, the ice finally crushed her and the ENDURANCE sank into the icy sea, leaving the 28 men on the ice with lifeboats and some supplies.
About a month later, they decided to march west, hauling the lifeboats laden with their supplies behind them. For 5 months they wandered on the moving ice floe until finally they sighted Elephant Island. In April 1915, they set out in their lifeboats and safely made landfall on Elephant Island; at least they were off the ice floes. On On April 24 1916, Shackleton chose a party of 5 men to go with him on the perilous 800 mile voyage to South Georgia to get help from the whaling station. Among them was the ever cheerful and reliable Timothy McCarthy. They endured appalling conditions; often frozen and soaked to the skin, the boat often iced up, often battling fierce gales in the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic. This voyage of the JAMES CAIRD remains one of the most astonishing and challenging voyages ever undertaken in an open boat. Miraculously they reached South Georgia on May 10 1916. Timothy was the first to spot land and the McCarthy Islands of South Georgia were subsequently named after him. Timothy McCarty was asked to stay behind with two members of the crew who were too ill to undertake the challenging trek across South Georgia to the whaling station. Without compass or navigation equipment and without any mountaineering equipment Shackleton, Crean and Worsley headed off on the arduous march through the interior. Timothy and his companions were rescued just days later but it took four attempts and some more months to rescue the 22 men on Elephant Island.
In 1917, about 6 months after his adventures in the Southern Ocean, Timothy McCarthy rejoined the merchant navy. In March of that year his oil tanker, the NARRAGANSETT, was torpedoed by a German U-boat some 350 miles off the south-west coast of Ireland. All hands were lost. Timothy McCarthy was 28 years of age.
Photo taken at Wellington on forecastle of that ship in early 1950's. He was born about 1882 in Ireland and went to sea at a young age: it is thought that he may only have been aged 12 - and ended up living in New Zealand where he honed his skills as a seaman. Robert Falcon Scott's TERRA NOVA had departed England but stopped off in New Zealand for repairs and to stock up on supplies and Mort was recruited to join the crew as helmsman crew member taken on in New Zealand. In later years Mortimer's son and grandson we both seamen on New Zealand ships particularly Cook Strait Ferries. TERRA NOVA sailed from New Zealand in November 1910. After landing the expedition parties TERRA NOVA turned for home and arrived back in New Zealand in April 1911.
TERRA NOVA again sailed south with McCarthy. The plan was to return to New Zealand with all the Antarctic expedition members on board but they learned that Scott and 7 of the 16 men who went to the South Pole had not yet returned. In addition, one of their number Lt.Evans was seriously ill. The pack ice was very thick, there were high seas, strong winds and blizzards. They had to abandon the attempt and again headed for New Zealand. This time they encountered the very worst storm while surrounded by icebergs. They eventually reached New Zealand in April 1912.
In December 1912, they embarked on the third voyage to the Antarctic arriving in McMurdo Sound on 18 January 1912. Here they learned that Scott and his 4 companions had died on the return trek from the South Pole. With all survivors safely on board, they turned for home on 26 January 1913. On 10 February they reached New Zealand and the tragic news of the fate of Scott and his party was telegraphed across the world.
Mortimer McCarthy remained with TERRA NOVA for her return to Britain in June, and shortly afterwards he and the other expedition survivors were decorated by King George V- Mortimer received a Silver Polar Medal in recognition of his valiant work as helmsman on the three 5,000 mile voyages during which he lost 2 fingers to frostbite. Mount McCarthy in the Barker Range in the Antarctic, is named after Mortimer. In 1963 at the age of 86 Mortimer returned to the Antarctic as a guest of the US Navy Operation Deep Freeze. At the time he was the oldest person to visit there. He died in 1967.
Mortimer's brother Timothy McCarthy was born in 1888 and was 6 years younger than Mortimer. As a member of the Royal Navy Reserve he served on a guard ship in Cobh (then Queenstown)an joined Shackleton as an able-seaman on the ENDURANCE sailing from London in August 1914, the purpose of the expedition being to cross the icy Antarctic continent from coast to coast via the South Pole -a distance of some 1,800 miles.
In December 1914 they forged through a thousand miles of pack ice. However a sudden drop in temperature caused the pack ice to freeze solid and the ENDURANCE was trapped 100 miles short of the continent of Antartica.
For months the ENDURANCE drifted in the ice, until finally in October Shackleton gave the order to abandon ship. On 21 November, the ice finally crushed her and the ENDURANCE sank into the icy sea, leaving the 28 men on the ice with lifeboats and some supplies.
About a month later, they decided to march west, hauling the lifeboats laden with their supplies behind them. For 5 months they wandered on the moving ice floe until finally they sighted Elephant Island. In April 1915, they set out in their lifeboats and safely made landfall on Elephant Island; at least they were off the ice floes. On On April 24 1916, Shackleton chose a party of 5 men to go with him on the perilous 800 mile voyage to South Georgia to get help from the whaling station. Among them was the ever cheerful and reliable Timothy McCarthy. They endured appalling conditions; often frozen and soaked to the skin, the boat often iced up, often battling fierce gales in the treacherous seas of the South Atlantic. This voyage of the JAMES CAIRD remains one of the most astonishing and challenging voyages ever undertaken in an open boat. Miraculously they reached South Georgia on May 10 1916. Timothy was the first to spot land and the McCarthy Islands of South Georgia were subsequently named after him. Timothy McCarty was asked to stay behind with two members of the crew who were too ill to undertake the challenging trek across South Georgia to the whaling station. Without compass or navigation equipment and without any mountaineering equipment Shackleton, Crean and Worsley headed off on the arduous march through the interior. Timothy and his companions were rescued just days later but it took four attempts and some more months to rescue the 22 men on Elephant Island.
In 1917, about 6 months after his adventures in the Southern Ocean, Timothy McCarthy rejoined the merchant navy. In March of that year his oil tanker, the NARRAGANSETT, was torpedoed by a German U-boat some 350 miles off the south-west coast of Ireland. All hands were lost. Timothy McCarthy was 28 years of age.
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New Zealand Ship and Marine Society (2nd Sep 2022). Mortimor McCarthy. In Website New Zealand Ship and Marine Society. Retrieved 14th Oct 2024 02:27, from https://nzshipmarine.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1422