Scott's Forgotten Surgeon: Dr Reginald Koettlitz, Polar Explorer

by Aubrey A. Jones

Overview

As senior surgeon on board Discovery, Dr. Reginald Koettlitz played a vital role in the herolic period of polar exploration when Nansen, Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott dominated the headlines. He was awarded a medal by the Royal Geographical Society for his role in the Discovery Expedition, 1901-04.

During the earlier successful three-year Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, Koettlitz fine-tuned his measures to prevent scurvy, became an experienced ski runner, dog and pony handler and expert in polar survival. These skills were available when Koettlitz was appointed senior surgeon on the Discovery Expedition led by Scott, but due to personal reasons and the inability to acknowledge Koettlitz's polar experience, both Scott's expeditions were best by major life-threatening issues that Koettlitz had faced and resolved on Franz Josef Land. On the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, Scott and his four companions died on their failed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.

This well-researched account is enriched with previously unseen archive material such as correspondence with Nansen and photographs relating to polar history during the period 1890-1916.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781849950381
Publisher:	Whittles Publishing
Publication date:	11/01/2011
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.60(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction v

Discovering Koettlitz ix

Acknowledgements xiii

Part 1 Origins of The Man 1

1 From Prussia to Dover 1

2 A Practice in Durham 8

3 Frederick George Jackson 15

Part 2 Early Expeditions 19

4 Franz Josef Land and the Eira 19

5 The Expedition sets out 24

6 The first winter at Cape Flora 30

7 Springs sledging operations commence 40

8 Russian roulette and heading west 49

9 Death nears the Mary Harmsworth 52

10 The second winter at Cape Flora 59

11 Jackson heads north once more 64

12 An historic moment 69

13 The final year at Cape Flora 74

14 The Geology of Franz Josef Land 83

Part 3 Through Africa and South America 91

15 Weld Blundell Expedition to Africa 91

16 For England and St George 99

17 Homeward bound 107

18 Planning for the Antarctic 110

19 Liverpool to Manaos 114

20 The Antarctic beckons 119

Part 4 Antarctica 130

21 To the south 130

22 Through the Southern Ocean 137

23 The first winter on Antarctica 143

24 Sledging season 1902-1903 148

25 Shackleton's Departure 154

26 The mystery of colour photography 162

27 The second winter and surgery 164

28 The release of the Discovery 172

Part 5 Return to Africa 180

29 Final days in England 180

30 The rural doctor and farmer 184

31 Death of an explorer 189

Appendices 195

Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land 1894-1897 195

Herbert Weld Blundell Expedition to North East Africa 1898-1899 197

National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904 199

First colour photographs of the Antarctic continent by Dr Reginald Koettlitz 1902-1904 201

Index 203