Timothy McCarthy (sailor)
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Timothy McCarthy | |
---|---|
Born | Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland | 15 July 1888
Died | 16 March 1917 Western Approaches | (aged 28)
Allegiance | UK |
Service/ | Royal Navy |
Rank | Leading seaman |
Awards | Polar Medal |
Timothy McCarthy (15 July 1888 – 16 March 1917) was an Irish leading seaman (LB). He is best known for his service in the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1916, for which he was awarded the Bronze Polar Medal.[1]
Biography
McCarthy was born on 15 July 1888 in Kinsale, County Cork. He signed on the Endurance as an able seaman, and participated fully in the dangers and privations of the Weddell Sea, particularly after the Endurance sank and the ship's company and shore party were marooned on a nearby ice floe. Later, the ship's company and shore party were forced to take to lifeboats, and the seamanship of the ABs became a decisive element in the survival of the entire company.[1]
Expedition commander
When the James Caird, in a sinking condition, made landfall on
Upon making landfall in the British Isles, McCarthy (who opposed the
Legacy
In 1916–17, McCarthy was awarded the Polar Medal in bronze. McCarthy Island, a rocky island just off King Haakon Bay where the James Caird made landfall, was named in McCarthy's honour by the South Georgia Survey in the period 1951–1957. A joint bust of Tim McCarthy and his brother Morty, also an Antarctic explorer, was unveiled in Kinsale in September 2000.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f John F. Mann (2009). "The Endurance Obituaries: Timothy F. McCarthy". enduranceobituaries.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2013.