Apsley Cherry‑Garrard (15 June 1886 – 19 March 1959) was an English naval officer, explorer, and author, best known for his participation in Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition (1910–1913), commonly referred to as the Terra Nova Expedition. He gained particular notoriety for his role in the "Winter Journey" of 1911, a highly publicized but hazardous sledging trip to collect emperor penguin eggs.
Early life and education
Born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England, Cherry‑Garrard was the son of Sir Henry Wilson Cherry‑Garrard, a baronet. He was educated at Eton College and later at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences. His interest in polar exploration was sparked by contemporary accounts of Arctic and Antarctic voyages.
Naval career and Antarctic service
In 1908, Cherry‑Garrard joined the Royal Navy as a young officer, attaining the rank of sub‑lieutenant. He volunteered for the Terra Nova Expedition, securing a position as a gentleman‑scientist and assistant to the expedition’s zoologist, Edward Adrian Wilson. During the expedition, he was responsible for collecting biological specimens, particularly penguins and other seabirds, and for maintaining the expedition’s records.
The Winter Journey
In July 1911, Cherry‑Garrard, accompanied by Wilson and Lieutenant Henry B. "Harry" R. Bowers, undertook a 67‑mile (108 km) round‑trip across the Antarctic ice to Cape Crozier. The objective was to retrieve emperor penguin eggs, which were hypothesized to provide insight into avian embryology and evolutionary links between birds and reptiles. The journey required travel in extreme cold (temperatures recorded at –70 °C) and was conducted without tents, relying on makeshift shelters and sleeping bags. Despite severe hardships, the team succeeded in obtaining the eggs, though subsequent scientific analysis concluded they held limited evolutionary significance. The Winter Journey became emblematic of the expedition’s spirit and was later chronicled in Cherry‑Garrard’s memoir.
Later expedition events and aftermath
Cherry‑Garrard returned to the main base at Cape Evans in January 1912 and later joined the final push toward the South Pole. He did not accompany Scott’s party on its fatal attempt in March 1912. Following the death of Scott and his companions, Cherry‑Garrard played a role in recovering their bodies and personal effects. He later testified before the 1913 Court of Enquiry into the expedition’s outcomes.
Literary work
In 1922, Cherry‑Garrard published The Worst Journey in the World, a memoir of the Terra Nova Expedition. The work is regarded as a classic of exploration literature, praised for its vivid depiction of Antarctic conditions and its candid reflection on the moral and logistical challenges faced by polar expeditions. The book won the Royal Geographical Society’s 1922 Back Award.
Later life and legacy
After the expedition, Cherry‑Garrard served in the Royal Navy during World War I, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. In the interwar period, he was involved in various scientific societies, including serving as a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. He retired from active service in 1932 and spent his later years managing family estates. Cherry‑Garrard died in 1959 at the age of 72.
His contributions to polar exploration, particularly the Winter Journey, are commemorated in Antarctic toponymy; features such as Cherry‑Garrard Ridge and Cherry‑Garrard Glacier bear his name. The Worst Journey in the World remains a seminal first‑hand account of early 20th‑century Antarctic exploration.
