P001230 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1993-10-20 human Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn updated 2025-09-11 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P001230b.htm person Wild John Robert Francis CBE AACR2 Wild, Frank 18 April 1873 19 August 1939 Place of Birth Skelton-in-Cleveland, Yorkshire, United Kingdom Place of Death Klerksdorp, South Africa Antarctic explorer Frank Wild was one of the most experienced Antarctic explorers: between 1901 and 1922 he participated in five expeditions. He was a member of the team that crossed the Ross Barrier and the Beardmore Glacier during the British Antarctic Expedition. In 1911 he joined the Australasian Antarctic Expedition under the command of his friend Douglas Mawson, and was the leader of the Western Party (Queen Mary Land) which explored over 500 km of unknown coastline. During the Imperial Transantarctic Expedition, Wild was in charge of 21 crew members of Endurance stranded on Elephant Island while expedition leader Ernest Shackleton organised a rescue party. Wild was awarded the Polar Medal with four bars for his Antarctic endeavours. His later career was peripatetic and included farming in Africa. Cape Wild (Elephant Island), Mount Wild (Queen Alexandra Range, Antarctica) and Mount Wild (Graham Land, Antarctica) were named in his honour.

The five Antarctic expeditions in which Wild participated were:

1901 - 1904: British National Antarctic Expedition (Discovery Expedition) under the command of Robert Scott;

1907 - 1909: British Antarctic Expedition (Nimrod Expedition) under the command of Ernest Shackleton;

1911 - 1914: Australasian Antarctic Expedition (Aurora Expedition) under the command of Douglas Mawson;

1914 - 1917: Imperial Transantarctic Expedition (Endurance Expedition) under the command of Ernest Shackleton;

1921 - 1922: Shackleton-Rowett Expedition (Quest Expedition) of which Wild was leader after the death of Ernest Shackleton.

1889 1900 Career position - Served with the merchant navy 1900 1939 Career position - Served with the Royal Navy 1901 1904 Career position - Able seaman, British National Antarctic Expedition 1907 1909 Career position - Member, British Antarctic Expedition 1909 1909 Award - Polar Medal (Silver, clasp)) 1911 February 1913 Career position - Leader, Western Party (Queen Mary Land), and sledge-master, Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1914 1917 Career position - Second-in-Command, Imperial Transantarctic Expedition 1915 1915 Award - Polar Medal (Silver, clasp)) 1916 1916 Award - Back Award, Royal Ggeographical Society 1920 1920 Award - Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 1921 1922 Career position - Second-in-Command (later Expedition leader), Shackleton-Rowett Expedition 1924 1924 Award - Patron's Medal, Royal Geographical Society British National Antarctic Expedition (1901 - 1904)

Able seaman

 Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911 - 1914)

Leader, Western Party, and sledge-master 1911 - 1913

Wikidata

VIAF - Virtual International Authority File

 Wild, Frank (1873-1939)

Trove

 'Wild, John Robert Francis (Frank)', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Wild, John Robert Francis (Frank) Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Commander F. Wild, C.B.E. Marr, James W. S. Commander F. Wild, C.B.E. 1939 Nature 144 3648 578-9 Book: The quest for Frank Wild Butler, Angie The quest for Frank Wild Warwick, U.K. Jackleberry Press 2011 Book: Frank Wild Mills, Leif Frank Wild Whitby, U.K. Caedmon of Whitby 1999 Book: South by Northwest: the Magnetic Crusade and the Contest for Antarctica Mawer, Granville Allen South by Northwest: the Magnetic Crusade and the Contest for Antarctica Kent Town Wakefield Press 2006 Book: Going to extremes: Project Blizzard and Australia's Antarctic heritage Chester, Jonathan Going to extremes: Project Blizzard and Australia's Antarctic heritage Sydney: Auckland Doubleday Australia 1986 Book: In search of the South Pole Lewis-Jones, Huw and Herbert, Karl In search of the South Pole London Conway 2011 Book: Mawson's remarkable men: the personal stories of the epic 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expediton Jensen, David Mawson's remarkable men: the personal stories of the epic 1911-14 Australasian Antarctic Expediton Sydeny Allen and Unwin 2015 Frank Wild - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Frank Wild - Records ML MSS 2955 1908 - 1909 Photocopy of a diary of a sledging journey 1908-9 with the translation of coded messages from the original in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge. 1 item Frank Wild - Records Mitchell and Dixson Libraries Manuscripts Collection, State Library of New South Wales Frank Wild - Records ML MSS 2198 1901 - 1937 Manuscript memoirs c1937 describing experiences in the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-04, Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-14 and the British Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-17 with a transcript; agreement with E. Shackleton relating to his serving as second in command of the Quest Expedition 1921 (printed with signatures). 2 volumes, 1 folder