Shackleton’s Scouts and the Quest on South Georgia
Alan Noake MBE and Dr Jan Chojecki
Tuesday 20 October 2026, 1900 – 2045 (TBC)
Following nationwide recruitment for “a hardworking cabin boy”, two Scouts, namely Norman Mooney and James Marr were selected to join the crew of Quest under the leadership of Ernest Shackleton. Alan will give an account of their selection for the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition (1921-22) from the 1700 applicants and describe how this adventure shaped their future lives. Their story had been researched by Alan since 2013 and was published as “Shackleton’s Scouts” in 2021 in recognition of the voyage’s centenary. He is currently the Assistant County Commissioner (Community Impact & Global Projects) for Kent Scouts.
In 1921, the two Georges, Hubert Wilkins and Vibert Douglas spent weeks on South Georgia having been sent ahead while Sir Ernest Shackleton and the rest of the Quest expedition waited at Rio de Janeiro for repairs to the ship. Jan will tell the story of the colour photographs made by Wilkins, and also present little-shared material from Douglas’s expedition journal, including his sojourn at the southern tip of the island. Jan Chojecki is the grandson of John Quiller Rowett, who financed Shackleton’s last exploit, and published the story of the expedition in “The Quest Chronicle” in 2022.
Tickets and Further Information
More details, and information on ticketing, will be publicised nearer the time. SGA Members, and participants in previous events will be informed by email. If you are new here, watch this space or contact us and we will add you to out mailing list. Even better: Join Us!