George Francis Arthur Mulock
(1882 - 1963) - Biographical
notes
Third lieutenant in charge of holds, stores, provisions and deep sea water analysis Discovery 1901-04
George Mulock took over from Ernest Shackleton on the event of the latter's early departure from the Discovery expedition in 1903. Mulock was a sub-lieutenant in the Navy and only 21 at the time of joining the expedition from HMS Triton where he had been surveyor.
The following biographical sketch is kindly provided
by Mr. R.B.D. Hughes Chairman of the Mulock Heritage Council:
Captain GEORGE FRANCIS ARTHUR
MULOCK, FRGS, DSO, RN, RD, RNR was born in Fleetwood, Lancashire
in February 1882 and educated at Stanmore Park and HMS Britannia
(BRNC Dartmouth). Of an Anglo-Irish family Mulock was a
cousin to Sir William Mulock KCMG, PC (1843 - 1944) Canadian
Postmaster-General, Air Commodore Redford H "Red" Mulock
CBE, DSO & bar, RNAS, RCAF, Canada's WWI Air Ace and Mr
Richard Mullock, first manager of the Welsh Rugby Team and
"Father of the Welsh Rugby Union".
As a sub-lieutenant
he was appointed to the relief ship Morning, attached to
Scott's National Antarctic Expedition, 1901 - 04, transferring
to the shore party in March 1903 in exchange for Ernest
H Shackleton, many reasons for this change of personnel
have been muted, but Mulock had qualified in marine surveying
while serving in HMS Triton and was a more competent Cartographer
& Surveyor. In addition to survey work, Mulock was given
primary responsibility for holds, stores, provisions and
deep-sea water analysis.
Mulock was just 21 when
he transferred to Discovery, although her Chief Engineer,
Lt Reginald Skelton was less than impressed. "Mulock is
distinctly peculiar for such a youngster, a mixture of sulkiness,
attempts at sarcasm, great readiness to take offence where
none is meant, a little conceit." In September 1903 he accompanied
Lt Michael Barne on what was to be a ten-week southern journey
to explore an inlet of the Western Mountains; weather and
surface conditions drove them back soon after they had reached
Barne Glacier. The temperature fell to -67.7 Fahrenheit
and Seaman Ernest E. Joyce got badly frost-bitten feet.
The situation grew so serious that Barne and Mulock took
turns to hold them against the pits of their stomachs and
knead the ankles for several hours, saving his feet from
certain amputation.
Scott had a very high opinion
of Mulock's abilities and initiative, frequently recording
praise of him in his diaries. In his written account of
the expedition, Captain R F Scott wrote "Mulock was then
only twenty-one years of age but...having a natural bent
for his work, his services proved invaluable". On the return
of the expedition, King Edward VII awarded the Silver Polar
Medal Mulock and the Admiralty lent him to the Royal Geographical
Society for a year to complete the compilation of the survey.
His results were published by the society in 1908 as The
Charts of the Discovery expedition and in the same year
he received the coveted Fellowship of the Royal Geographical
Society
In 1907, Scott approached Mulock, Barne and
Skelton about the possibility of another expedition. Then
on the 12th February, Shackleton announced that he had secured
£30,000 and was to attempt to go south. Shackleton wrote
to Mulock asking him to become expedition surveyor & cartographer,
although flattered to be asked, Mulock declined on account
of a gentleman's agreement with Captain Scott. Correspondence
between Mulock and Shackleton is held at the Scott Polar
Research Institute
During the First World War, he
served with distinction in the Gallipoli campaign, as Beach
Master at Cape Helles and Sulva Bay, receiving the Distinguished
Service Order for his gallantry. By late 1916, Mulock had
been advanced to Commander and was made Captain of HMS Bee,
a river gunboat of the Aphis-Class in the China Squadron.
In 1920 he retired from the Royal Navy after 25 years service
and joined the Asiatic Petroleum Co. as Marine Superintendent
at Shanghai.
At the outbreak of the Second World
War, Mulock was re-activated and advanced to Captain. Due
to his experience Captain Mulock was appointed XDO S'Pore
- Extended Defences Officer for the British Crown Colony
of Singapore. It was Mulock who was charged with the evacuation
of the civilian population as Japanese forces closed in.
Mulock and other officers were captured in February 1942
following the fall of Singapore to Imperial Japanese Forces
under General Yamashita. The Japanese took over 100,000
prisoners at Singapore following the surrender. Many would
later die building the infamous Burma-Thailand railway and
endure the appalling treatment of POW Camps.
The
most senior naval officer to be captured at Singapore, Mulock
was also one of the oldest officers (he was 63 when released
in 1945) to be transported to Taiwan and held at the Karenko
and Shirakawa POW Camps.
After the Second World War,
Captain Mulock retired to Gibraltar where he died at the
age of 81, on the 26th December 1963. Mulock's lasting contribution
to the study of the Antarctic continent was his charts of
the region, later used by many expeditions. His obvious
talent for surveying and cartography led to the production
of accurate and highly detailed works. The Mulock Inlet
and the Mulock Glacier were discovered by the British National
Antarctic Expedition and were later named in Mulock's honour
by the NZAPC.
Landmarks named after George Mulock
Feature Name:
Mulock Inlet
Type: Ice stream
Latitude:
79°08'S
Longitude: 160°40'E
Description: A re-entrant about 10 mi wide
between Capes Teall and Lankester. The feature is occupied by
lower Mulock Glacier which drains through it to the Ross Ice
Shelf. Discovered by the BrNAE (1901-04).
Feature Name:
Mulock Glacier
Type: Glacier
Latitude:
79°00'S
Longitude: 160°00'E
Description: A large glacier draining ESE
into Mulock Inlet in the NW corner of the Ross Ice Shelf. Named
by the NZAPC in association with Mulock Inlet.
Biographical information
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