All 28 crew members standing at the bow of the Endurance.

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The Crew of Endurance

The crew of Endurance was made up of 28 men from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, the United States of America, and New Zealand. Shackleton meticulously selected his crew for their skills, experience, and ability to work as a team. But his interview process was reported to be quite unique, asking one man if he could sing and hiring another because he looked funny. This doesn't mean he chose cavalierly; Shackleton only selected highly skilled men to man his ship.

Former Crew Members

According to some reports, even before departing England, some crewmen decided to leave to serve in WWI. By the time Endurance reached Buenos Aires, crew morale suffered, and there were disciplinary issues. This led to some crew members being dismissed or choosing to leave. This included Douglas George Jeffrey; Courtney Brocklehurst, F. Dobbs, who would work with the dogs; and V. Studd, the original geologist. Two members (O. Barr and J. Irving) were dismissed in Buenos Aires for unruliness (possibly four members, by some records). Finally, Sir Daniel Gooch acted as dog handler, but returned to England from South Georgia.

The Animals of Endurance

In addition to the crew, Endurance hosted multiple dog teams, two pigs (Sir Patrick and Bridget Dennis), and a cat, Mrs Chippy. To find out more about Mrs Chippy, you can find her in the crew section above. Below are the named dogs on the expedition.

The Crew of Aurora

Endurance was only one part of the expedition. There was a second ship, Aurora, which carried the Ross Sea Party. This party was tasked with laying supply depots for Shackleton's planned crossing of Antarctica. The Ross Sea Party faced its own incredible challenges, including being stranded when Aurora broke free from its moorings during a storm and drifted away, leaving the crew behind. Below is the crew list for the Aurora expedition.

Shore Party

*Died during expedition.

Aurora Crew

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