Tom Crean related newsclippings
Probably the most recognisable of newsclippings, this one attributed to Ernest Shackleton, never actually appeared as an advert purportedly reading as follows:
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success”
He also never placed this advert:
“Man wanted for three hazardous journeys. Willing to risk own life to save others in bitter cold. Must have a sense of humour and inspirational skills to motivate others. Honour and recognition doubtful in the event of success”
If he had, we know the man who took the job
This post will feature more related Tom Crean related newsclippings that did make it to publication. There are also a number of Tom Crean related newsclippings featured in the book and for fear of spoiling it for those visitors who’ve not yet read it, I’ll be adding a number of other clippings I discovered while researching the book.
Newsclipping 1
Tom Crean is granted a Publican’s licence in 1917 and the judge reveals himself to be a huge Tom Crean fan.
Newsclipping 2
Appearing in the Guardian on 7th November 1913, this newsclipping reveals the support enjoyed by Joseph Foster Stackhouse for his forthcoming British Antarctic Expedition of 1914. It also reveals the close friendship he had with Captain Scott, news of who’s death on the return journey from the South Pole had been announced in February 1913. As revealed in the book, Joseph Foster Stackhouse had earmarked Tom Crean as one of his most important recruits to the expedition, yet Shackleton won the battle for Crean’s services and Stackhouse postponed his plans to go South until the following year, 1915.
Newsclipping 3
Tom Crean’s birthdate and, consequently, the age of which he joined the Royal Navy have been incorrectly established by previous written accounts of his life because the sole source of both calculations were based upon the birthdate that appears on his Naval record. The facts prove otherwise and another blog post here provides readers with the evidence that Crean was born on 16th February, 1877. The truth is that Crean, like many of his generation and those to follow, didn’t have the foggiest about their date of birth – it was of little importance and one only has to go back a few generations to discover the same of our own grandparents and great grandparents.
However, if there’s one thing we can establish from my findings for Crean – The Extraordinary Life of an Irish Hero, it’s that Tom Crean himself provided confirmation of the age in which he joined the Navy as can be seen in this newsclipping of a Tom Crean quote from an appearance he made in the courtroom in 1933.
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