- Richard W. Richards
Richard Walter Richards, GC often referred to as Dick Richards, born at
Bendigo , Victoria in 1893, was an Australian science teacher who joinedSir Ernest Shackleton 'sImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in December 1914 as a physicist with theRoss Sea Party under CaptainAeneas Mackintosh . Richards was barely 21 years old, and had just completed his studies atMelbourne University , whenSY Aurora sailed. He was to outlive all other members of the expedition, and became the last survivor of the so-called "Heroic Age" of Antarctic exploration, dying at the age of 91 in 1985.With the Ross Sea Party
On the ill-starred Ross Sea Party, Richards learned sledging and polar travel techniques from
Ernest Joyce whom Richards admired [Huntford, Shackleton biog. p450] . It was Richards who first noticed the disappearance of the Aurora during a gale on 6th May 1915, and coincidentally he was the first to sight her on her return, 20 months later. During the intervening period while the shore party was stranded, Richards participated in the harrowing march to theBeardmore Glacier , laying depots for Shackleton's expected trans-continental party, which of course never came. He observed the deaths ofArnold Spencer-Smith ,Victor Hayward and Mackintosh during the journey back from the Beardmore, and was thereafter confined to his bunk for several weeks, suffering from exhaustion and depression [Bickel, Shackleton's Lost Men pp228-29] .Post-expedition career
After rescue in January 1917, and his return to Australia, Richards taught at the School of Mines and Industry at
Ballarat . After acting as a government adviser on optical apparatus during World War II he returned to Ballarat in 1948, as Principal of the College, retiring in 1958 [RWR biog. in http://www.heritage.antarctica.org/AHT/CrewRossSeaParty] . During his later years he was frequently consulted by historians and chroniclers of polar exploration, often expressing his views in trenchant terms [Transcript of archival recording of RWR in http://www.abc.net.au/tv/rewind/txt/s1214093.htm] . He maintained the view that, though the depot-laying journey was ultimately unnecessary, it was not futile, but was a demonstration of what the human spirit could accomplish in adversity [RWR quoted in http://www.abc.net.au/tv/rewind/txt/s1214093.htm] .Honours and memorials
Richard Richards was awarded the
Albert Medal in 1923 for his efforts on the ice to save the lives of Spencer-Smith and Mackintosh, this award being converted in 1971 to theGeorge Cross , an exchange offered to all Albert Medal holders then living [ [http://gc-database.co.uk/alpha.htm George Cross Database - Summary index table of all individual GC awards ] ] . He is further commemorated by the Richards Inlet at coord|83|20|S|168|30|E [RWR biog. in http://www.heritage.antarctica.org/AHT/CrewRossSeaParty] , and also by the Richard W Richards Medal [RWR biog. in http://www.heritage.antarctica.org/AHT/CrewRossSeaParty] at theBallarat College of Advanced Education .Trivia
It is reported that Richards signed up for the expedition without any discussion of payment, and that on his return he received the sum of £70 [Shackleton, South (Century Ltd edition) ed. note p169] .
References
ources
*Lennard Bickel: "Shackleton's Forgotten Men", Random House 2000
*M&J Fisher: "Shackleton" (biog.) James Barrie Books 1957
*Roland Huntford: "Shackleton" (biog.) Hodder & Stougton 1985
*http://www.heritage.antarctica.org
*http://www.abc.net.au
*http://www.gc-database.co.uk
*Ernest Shackleton: "South" Century Ltd edition, Ed Peter King 1991
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