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Apsley Cherry-Garrard

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Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard was a famous explorer from England.

Family Cherry-Garrard
Family Cherry-Garrard

He was born in Bedford in 1886. He studied history and classics at Oxford University. During his school years, he won a big rowing trophy at the Henley Royal Regatta. Later, he inherited a large estate called Lamer Park. He wanted to live a life of adventure like his father. In 1907, he decided to volunteer for a trip to Antarctica. This trip was called the Terra Nova expedition.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard sledge flag
Apsley Cherry-Garrard sledge flag

He was only 24 years old when he joined the team.

Cherry-Garrard worked as an assistant zoologist for the expedition.

Emperor Penguin eggs
Emperor Penguin eggs

In July 1911, he went on a very difficult winter trip. He traveled with two men named Wilson and Bowers. Their goal was to find emperor penguin eggs. They needed the eggs to study how birds evolved. The journey was dark and extremely cold. They had to pull heavy sledges across the ice. Because the ice was bad, they had to move one sledge at a time. This made their travel very slow and tiring. They reached their goal after 19 days of hard work.

Life on the ice was very dangerous for the men.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard & typewriter
Apsley Cherry-Garrard & typewriter

They built a small hut made of rocks and canvas. A huge blizzard hit them on July 22, 1911. The wind was so strong it ripped their tent away. The men had to sleep in their bags under the snow. They sang songs and hymns to stay brave during the storm. The cold was so intense that Cherry-Garrard's teeth actually shattered. He eventually called this trip "the worst journey in the world." He later used this name for his famous book.

In 1912, Cherry-Garrard helped with another important task. He traveled with a dog handler named Dimitri Gerov. They went to a place called One Ton Depot. Their job was to leave extra food for the South Pole team. They reached the depot on March 3, 1912. They waited for one week to see if the team would arrive. However, the weather was too cold to go further south. They had to turn back on March 10. Sadly, the South Pole team did not make it home. They died from the cold and hunger.

Cherry-Garrard spent the rest of his life sharing his stories.

Apsley Cherry-Garrard's Grave
Apsley Cherry-Garrard's Grave

He wrote a book about the expedition in 1922. Many people think it is a great adventure story. During the Great War, he helped turn his family estate into a hospital. He even worked with bloodhounds in Belgium. He suffered from health problems for many years. He lived in London until he died in 1959. He is buried in a churchyard in Wheathampstead, England.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Family Cherry-Garrard.jpg
Family Cherry-Garrard.jpg
File:Apsley Cherry-Garrard sledge flag.png
Apsley Cherry-Garrard sledge flag.png
File:Apsley Cherry-Garrard & typewriter.jpg
Apsley Cherry-Garrard & typewriter.jpg
File:Scott1.jpg
Scott1.jpg
File:Apsley Cherry-Garrard's Grave.jpg
Apsley Cherry-Garrard's Grave.jpg
File:Emperor Penguin eggs.jpg
Emperor Penguin eggs.jpg
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