TIMOTHY McCARTHY Member of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition on the Endurance. Was trapped in pack ice for 15 month. Selected as one of six men who made a famous 800-mile voyage in an open boat in the worst seas in the world from Elephant Island to South Georgia to get help to rescue their companions. Awarded Bronze Polar Medal. Died at gun post when tanker ‘Narragansett’ was torpedoed. | MORTIMER McCARTHY Member of Sir Robert Falcon Scott’s expedition on the ‘Aurora’ to the Antartic and the ill-fated expedition on the “Terra Nova” to the South pole. Received a Silver Polar Medal for his exploits. Donated a harpoon gun from the expedition to the Kinsale Museum. Settled and lived his life in New Zealand. |
Timothy was in the lifeboat that set off for the whaling station. McCarthy Island is an island off South Georgia.
Two years later, Timothy’s luck ran out when the tanker, Narragansett, was sunk by torpedo from U-44, south west of Ireland.
He died before his twenty-fifth birthday.