Ernest Shackleton, Quest
Shackleton - Rowett Expedition 1921 - 1922

The Bell of the Quest:

I know that on the 12th of June 1923, The Sons of England Patriotic & Benevolent Society had opened the "Shackleton Lodge" in Parkview (or Parktown) in Johannesburg and I have also learnt (from a not-so-reliable source) that the said Lodge no longer exists.

On (I believe) the 24th of June 1930, Frank Wild donated the ship's bell from the "Quest" to the Shackleton Lodge.

The following dedication was made at the handing over of the bell:

"After describing the variety of purposes to which a ship's bell were devoted in the old windjammer days, shewing that the bell was the very soul of the ship, the following is the orientation:- Bell of the "Quest" I salute you. You were the soul of a ship having a company of brave men who were seeking lands unknown.

How often have you sounded in storm and calm, in happiness and sorrow, in sunshine and gloom and in times of hunger and tribulation. In tropic heat and arctic cold you have noted the passage of time and also you tolled the desolation at the loss of your esteemed commander.

I wonder whether this Order of the S.O.E. and Shackleton Lodge in particular will ever realise the great honour which has been thrust upon them by giving you sanctuary.

You represent the spirit of our forefather, those adventurous Englishmen who set forth from London town and the port of Bristol in their tiny
cockleshells of ships into the wild wastes of oceans for lands unknown and having found those strange lands there they planted the flag.

By such methods were built this great heritage of ours, the British Empire, which has set the measure of justice and probity for the whole world's example.  Bell of the "Quest", symbol of race and empire, may your resonant notes ever serve to remind us of these Englishmen of old whose daring exploits on land and sea made the Empire to which it is our proud privilege to belong. May you prove an incentive to this Order of the S.O.E. to unceasingly endeavour to bring happiness to this fair land and also to persist in its efforts to bury the shroud of racialism so that both races may in peace and unity progress to a great futurity."

The Sons of England no longer exist in South Africa. It is therefore somewhat difficult to find out what had happened to the bell after the SOE went bang here in SA.

I also know where (or should I say who) has Frank Wild's four Polar Medals.

Provided by - Luigi Casaleggio - Bloemfontein, South Africa

The Crew In more detail

bullet denotes other Arctic or Antarctic expeditionary experience, prior to, or following this expedition

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