3 July 2017: we have written several posts on the discovery of HMS Terror and HMS Erebus in the Canadian Arctic and have yet another update - a kind of sad one (should there be something sadder than two ships being frozen into the ice and all hands dying gruesome deaths, some freezing to death and others....well, worse). Controversy about ownership of the artifacts, the wrecks themselves, and display rights have dominated the maritime news sporadically since the ships were discovered in the waters of the Arctic.....
To refresh your memory, HMS Terror and Erebus were two ships in the Franklin expedition sent out to find the elusive Northwest Passage in 1845 from England.
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| HMS Erebus in better times |
There were never heard from again, and the ship sent to find them, returned empty-handed..... It was not until a few years ago that maritime archeologists from Parks Canada found the wrecks (see map)
and began recovering some artifacts. You can look back on several Maritime Maunder posts for further details.
Now, another piece of the story has come to light, written about in this news article by Anita Singh in the British publication, the Telegraph News.
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When Captain Sir John Franklin’s ships
vanished in the Arctic on a mission to discover the North West Passage, the
story gripped Victorian England.
HMS Erebus and HMS Terror became trapped in ice and the 129 men on board
waited in vain for rescue, before finally setting out on foot in a doomed
attempt to reach civilisation.
A previously unpublished letter throws
new light on how the story was followed back home, laying bare the fears of the
sailors’ families.
The letter has been donated to the National Maritime Museum, where a new
exhibition on the Franklin expedition will open on July 14.
It was written by the parents of John
Diggle, a cook on HMS Terror, and sent to his ship in the vain hope of reaching
him. It was returned, stamped ‘undeliverable’.
Mr and Mrs Diggle had read with horror that the ship was frozen in ice and
the men succumbing to scurvy.
Dated January 1848 - - the letter begins: “Dear Son, I wright these
few lines in hopes to find you and all your Shipmates in both Ships well… but
our fears his wee shall Never see you again seeing the Account in the Newspaper
how you have been Situated what with been frozen inn and having that dreadful
Disorder the Schervey [sic].” [Scurvy - ed.]
That same month, HMS Plover had set out in
search of the ship. The letter went on: “We trust in God when HMS Plover
reaches you our thoughts will be flusterated and joyful news it will be for us
to hear on her Return to England that you and all the Crew are well. Please God
it may be so [sic].”
The letter was donated to the museum by the
Diggle family, and will be among hundreds of items on display.
The mystery surrounding the ships’ final resting place lasted until
2014, when Canadian researchers found the wreck of the Erebus on the sea
bed. Terror was found two years later.
The sole written record of the men’s fate was a note found in a cairn on
King William Island, written in April 1848. It said only 105 men remained alive
and they were setting out on foot. None made it to safety.
Reports by local Inuits that the men had resorted to cannibalism were
dismissed in England, with Charles Dickens writing that they would never have
resorted to such “dreadful” actions.
However, forensic analysis of bones more than a century later provided
confirmation, with some scraped clear of marrow and skulls cleaved open in
order to reach the brains.
A lifeboat was also recovered with two skeletons
on board. They had packed towels, scented soap, silver cutlery, and a novel
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There is bound to be more on this fascinating story as more artifacts are recovered and exhibits open in England (Canada is NOT happy about that!) and we will try to keep you posted.
Until next time,
Fair winds,
Old Salt
PS To our American readers, we at Maritime Maunder wish you a most happy Independence Day and hope that you might take moment from your barbecue, beach, and partying to reflect on just what we are celebrating!
