A tribute to Frank Wild

On 24 February 2009, 48 passengers – including special guest Angie Butler - will board the ice-strengthened expedition ship, Professor Multanovskiy, on a voyage bound for the famed island of South Georgia, where they will deliver a bronze memorial plaque for Frank Wild (1873–1939) to the South Georgia Heritage Trust Museum.

Cabins are still available for guests to join this 18-night polar voyage to South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica operated by One Ocean Expeditions, embarking in Ushuaia, Argentina on 24 February 2009.

Sculptress/journalist Angie Butler has been researching Frank Wild for the past four years. “It has been my wish to have a memorial plaque set up in South Georgia to honour a truly great but forgotten man. And it seems fitting that he should be remembered on the island where he led a small party to erect the cairn and cross at Hope Point in memory of Shackleton and where his beloved ‘Boss’ is buried in the small cemetery”. Angie has designed and modeled the bas-relief plaque portraying Frank Wild and, on arrival in South Georgia, will position the plaque either in the church or museum with a short unveiling ceremony attended by the Professor Multanovskiy’s passengers and crew.

Frank Wild was one of the greatest polar explorers of the Heroic Age. He made five expeditions to Antarctica, and accompanied Sir Ernest Shackleton on all three of his expeditions. His achievements contributed to some of the most significant events in Polar history. His 'furthest south' march during the Nimrod expedition, his leadership of the Western Base party on Sir Douglas Mawson's Aurora expedition and his guardianship of the 22 men left on Elephant Island during the Endurance expedition, exemplify a few of his outstanding accomplishments. He is the only Polar explorer to be awarded the Polar Medal with four silver clasps.

One Ocean Expeditions’ President, Andrew Prossin says, “We are honoured to have Angie Butler along to share her extensive research on Frank Wild with our passengers and crew and to assist with her project to have a relief plaque finally set up in Frank Wild’s honour in Grytviken, South Georgia.”

The project has been met with enormous support and encouragement from the South Georgia Heritage Trust and the South Georgia museum curator Elsa Davidson.

Polar exploration is not the only feature of this voyage – both South Georgia and the Falklands are home to great concentrations of spectacular wildlife and on the Antarctic Peninsula there are enormous penguin rookeries, scientific research stations and iceberg-filled channels.

Prices for the 18-night voyage onboard the Professor Multanovskiy, start at US$12,990 per person sharing a twin cabin including everything whilst on board, one night hotel accommodation in Buenos Aires, one night in Ushuaia and all transfers between airports, hotels and the ship. And, to make packing for the trip easier the hire of a waterproof jacket, trousers and boots is also included in the price.

For more information, log on to Oneoceanexpeditions.com.