Edgar Evans

Edgar Evans was a Welsh Petty Officer in the Royal Navy and a member of Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole. Renowned for his immense physical strength and practical skills, he was part of the final five-man polar party that reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, only to discover they had been preceded by the Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen. His death during the tragic return journey from the pole was the first among the polar party, marking a turning point in the expedition's desperate struggle for survival.

Early life and career

Edgar Evans was born in the small coastal village of Rhossili on the Gower Peninsula in Wales. He joined the Royal Navy as a boy seaman in the 1890s, serving on several ships including HMS *Majestic* and HMS *Vivid*. His naval career demonstrated a talent for mechanics and physical endurance, qualities that brought him to the attention of Captain Robert Falcon Scott. Evans first served under Scott as a petty officer on the Discovery Expedition from 1901 to 1904, where he proved invaluable during the sledge journeys on the Ross Ice Shelf. His performance earned him a promotion to the rank of Petty Officer, First Class, and he was awarded the Polar Medal for his contributions. Between the two Antarctic expeditions, he served at the naval barracks in Devonport and married his wife, Lois, with whom he had three children.

Terra Nova Expedition

Selected again by Scott for the Terra Nova Expedition in 1910, Evans was a key member of the shore party that established Cape Evans as the main base on Ross Island. During the initial stages, he was involved in laying depots, including the critical One Ton Depot, and participated in the Winter Journey led by Edward Adrian Wilson to collect Emperor penguin eggs from Cape Crozier. For the polar journey, Evans was chosen for the final supporting party and ultimately for the last five-man team to attempt the pole. Alongside Scott, Dr. Edward Wilson, Lawrence Oates, and Henry Robertson Bowers, he man-hauled sledges across the Ross Ice Shelf, up the treacherous Beardmore Glacier, and onto the Antarctic Plateau. The party successfully reached the South Pole on 17 January 1912, but their morale was shattered upon finding the tent and flag left by Roald Amundsen's team weeks earlier.

Death and legacy

The return journey from the South Pole was plagued by deteriorating weather, insufficient rations, and the onset of scurvy. Evans, who had been a pillar of strength, began to suffer severely after a fall on the Beardmore Glacier which resulted in a serious head injury. He rapidly declined both physically and mentally, becoming unable to keep pace with the others. On 17 February 1912, he collapsed and died near the foot of the glacier. His death, recorded in Scott's diary, was the first fatality of the polar party and significantly weakened the group's chances of survival. Evans's fate is often cited as a pivotal moment in the tragedy, highlighting the extreme physical demands and psychological toll of the expedition. The subsequent deaths of Lawrence Oates, Edward Wilson, Henry Bowers, and finally Scott himself, just 11 miles from the One Ton Depot, cemented the journey as one of the most famous epics of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

Memorials and honours

Edgar Evans is commemorated alongside his fellow explorers on the Scott Memorial in Cardiff and the Royal Naval Division War Memorial in London. In his hometown, a memorial plaque was erected in St Mary's Church, Rhossili, and a nearby cliff on the Gower Peninsula is named "Evans's Cliff" in his memory. His name is also inscribed on the Polar Medal, which he received posthumously, and on the Explorers Club memorials dedicated to Antarctic pioneers. The story of the Terra Nova Expedition and Evans's role in it has been recounted in numerous books, including Apsley Cherry-Garrard's *The Worst Journey in the World*, and featured in films and documentaries about the race to the South Pole.

Category:1876 births Category:1912 deaths Category:British polar explorers Category:People from Swansea Category:Recipients of the Polar Medal Category:Royal Navy personnel Category:Deaths in Antarctica Category:Scottish National Antarctic Expedition