Frank Worsley was born in the small sea port of Akaroa, Christchurch. South Island, New Zealand. He was the second son of Henry Theophilus and Georgina Worsley. His Grandfather had emigrated to New Zealand, from Rugby, England in 1851. Like Shackleton, Worsley’s life is well documented.
At the age of fifteen, he joined the New Zealand Shipping Company as an apprentice midshipman. In 1888 he made his first voyage on the “Wairoa” a clipper, which sailed from N.Z. to London. England.
Over the years, he made many voyages in a number of ships owned by the N.Z.S.C. and whilst learning his trade became interested in navigation. In 1895 he left the company with an excellent record of service. He joined the New Zealand Government Steamer Service as a second mate on the “Tutanekai” which sailed from New Zealand to a number of Pacific Island destinations.
By 1900 he had risen to the rank of Chief Officer and sat and passed his master’s certificate. His first command was the New Zealand Government’s ship “The Countess of Ranfurly”. In 1906 he left N.Z. to seek work in England.
He soon met and married an English girl, Theodora Blackden from Tunbridge Wells, they were married on 20th December 1907. Frank joined the Allan Line Royal Mail Steamers operated between England and Canada.
By 1914 he had become a Lieutenant - Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.
The story of how Worsley came to join Shackleton’s I.T.A.E of 1914 is quite bizarre. In his 1931 book “Endurance” Frank writes:
“One night I dreamed that Burlington Street was full of ice blocks and that I was navigating a ship along it. Next morning I awoke and hurried along to Burlington Street. A sign on a door caught my eye. It bore the words “Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition”. I turned into the building, Shackleton was there, and after a few minutes conversation he announced “Your Engaged”.”
Worsley joined the Endurance as skipper .At first Shackleton doubted his ability to command, but as the expedition proceeded he found Worsley to be a most able skipper and extraordinary navigator. Worsley’s navigation skills would guide the three boats to Elephant Island, and under the most extreme and almost impossible conditions, he somehow managed to navigate the James Caird across Drake’s Passage to South Georgia Island. A journey of around 800 miles.
This had never been done before, and has never been achieved since in such a small open boat. His experiences in the Pacific Ocean years ago, where he became a master at landing small boats in near impossible places, no doubt accounts for how he was somehow able to guide the Caird in a stormy leeward sea into the safety of King Haakon Bay on South Georgia.
Worsley also accompanied Shackleton and Crean on the first ever over-land crossing of South Georgia.
After the expedition he briefly returned home to New Zealand, but keen to do his bit for the war effort by April 1917 had returned again to England.
He was stationed at Chatham and received training on Submarine hunting. He was given command of a navy P-Boat. These were small-armed vessels, disguised as harmless merchant ships. Their purpose was to fool German U Boats (thinking they were un armed) into surfacing. Once above the water, the boats would open fire or attempt to ram the U-Boat.
On 26th September 1917 Worsley whilst in command of PQ61 sailing off the coast of Southern Ireland spotted a German U-Boat, which had just torpedoed a convoy ship. He skilfully manoeuvred his ship and rammed and sank the U-Boat. Worsley was awarded the D.S.O. for his actions.
In late October 1918 Worsley at the request of Shackleton rejoined his old Boss as part of the North Russia Expeditionary Force. It was something of a reunion as Shackleton, Wild, Macklin, Hussey and McIlroy were also part of that force. Worsley won the D.S.O. for the second time for leading a daring land raid against the Bolsheviks.
After the war ended he received another honour the O.B.E. given for services to Great Britain.
He joined up once more with Shackleton in 1921 on the Quest expedition as Sailing Master and Hydrographer. The expedition was never to be completed as Shackleton died at South Georgia on 5th January 1922.
During the years after the Quest expedition and the outbreak of WW11 Worsley lived a lively career and Captained numerous vessels mainly sailing from England to places like Canada and Norway. His marriage to Theodora had been over by 1920 and in August 1926 he married a Scottish woman named Maggie Jane Cumming, twenty years his younger who he always called Jean.
Frank, like Shackleton was terrible at managing finances, and for a number of years he earned money giving lectures whenever he could, about the Endurance Expedition. He was after all, a polar hero and a war hero. He also provided the commentary for Shackleton’s film “South”.
Worsley’s autograph, obtained when he gave a lecture at Goudhurst College, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, not long after returning from Shackleton’s last expedition on the “Quest”. ( photo © J.F.Mann.)
Between 1934 and 1936 Frank lived out one of his life long ambitions to go treasure hunting in the Pacific Ocean. Cocos Island to be exact. ”I have always been fascinated by treasure islands” he wrote.
He and Shackleton as long ago as the Endurance expedition had discussed and agreed that one day they would go in search of 17th Century treasure known to be buried somewhere on the island .Not to mention the pearls that could be found in those waters. Shackleton was never to make that trip. Frank did along with his wife Jean. But after almost two year of searching the project was abandoned, and he and Jean returned home to England.
At the outbreak of WW11 Frank being too old for active service, was sent to France to help bolster troop moral and later to Norway to help set up a Red Cross unit. He was transferred back to London and appointed Assistant Commissioner of the Red Cross Training Depot at Balham, London.
In August 1941 be captained a merchant ship the “Dalriada” its duty was to help clear the harbour at Sheerness from any wreckage . He was by now 70 years of age, but had got the job by stating that he was only 65! He was eventually found out and relieved of his post. In April 1942 he gained a position as a lecturer at H.M.S. King Alfred, a training school at Hove
WORSLEY’S MEDALS.
Worsley it seems, took the trouble to have unofficial bars fixed to his British War Medal (third from left).
Frank had been a very heavy smoker all his adult life and in late January 1943 he was diagnosed as having cancer of the lung. He was to die a few days later on 1st February at the home of his long time friends the Bamfords at Claygate. Surrey. He was cremated at Woking and his memorial service held at Greenwich College Chapel was a grand affair. His ashes were scattered at sea near the mouth of the River Thames.
Worsley was a great seaman, extraordinary navigator and a lover of art and nature. Someone once wrote that Worsley belonged in the Elizabethan age.
No doubt he would have enjoyed sailing with the likes of Drake and Raleigh as much as he did with Shackleton.
He is remembered at St. John’s Crematorium, Surrey. Panel 5.
The Worsley Bust, Britomart Reserve, Akaroa, N.Z.
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