Apsley Cherry-Garrard

Lore & Background

Cherry-Garrard was born in Bedford, the eldest child of Apsley Cherry and Evelyn Edith Sharpin. He was educated at Winchester College and Christ Church, Oxford, where he read classics and modern history and rowed in the 1908 Christ Church crew that won the Grand Challenge Cup at Henley. His surname changed to Cherry-Garrard by the terms of his great-aunt's will, through which his father inherited the Lamer Park estate. Apsley inherited the estate on his father's death in 1907. Inspired by his father's military achievements, he volunteered for the Terra Nova expedition in September 1907 after meeting Edward Adrian Wilson and Robert Falcon Scott. Initially rejected, he donated £1,000 and was accepted as assistant zoologist after Wilson's persuasion.

Reader's Guide

Cherry-Garrard's significance lies in his firsthand account of the Terra Nova expedition, particularly the winter journey to Cape Crozier to collect emperor penguin eggs. This journey, which he called the 'worst journey in the world,' demonstrated extreme human endurance under brutal conditions. His decision at One Ton Depot—to wait seven days and then turn back without meeting Scott's party—has been a subject of historical debate. The article notes that Cherry-Garrard justified his decision based on poor weather and lack of dog food, and that he was following orders not to kill dogs. His later life was marked by depression and ulcerative colitis, conditions that preceded the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder. His book remains a classic of polar literature, preserving the details of the expedition's scientific work and tragic outcome.

Did You Know?

• Cherry-Garrard shattered most of his teeth due to chattering in the frigid temperatures during the winter journey to Cape Crozier.
• He donated £1,000 to the Terra Nova expedition even after his application was rejected twice.
• The title of his book, *The Worst Journey in the World*, was suggested by his neighbour George Bernard Shaw.
• He helped convert his family estate, Lamer, into a field hospital for wounded soldiers during the Great War.