British Singles

Lot 4879    Session 15 ( 7.30pm Thursday 20th November)    British Singles

Estimate $1,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $41,000

POLAR MEDAL, (EVIR), - Clasp - Antarctic 1907-09. B.Day, Nimrod. Impressed. Extremely fine.

Ex J. and J. Edwards Collection.

Antarctic 1907-09 clasp: LG 23/11/1909.

Antarctic 1910-13 clasp: LG 25/7/1913.

Note: When B. Day's medal was sold, the last clasp was reported missing by the new owner despite it having been sent to the expedition's office for issue to B. Day. In fact in a letter included with this lot, Mr Day states that he did have this missing clasp so what happened to it remains a mystery. A replacement was not supplied as the new owner of the medal was not a member of the recipient's family.

Bernard Day left the service of the New Arrol-Johnston Motor Car Company in 1907 to join Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 as electrician and motor expert. He was in charge of the first motor car in the Antarctic, a new Arrol-Johnston, fitted with a special air cooled engine. Although the car proved unsuitable for use in soft snow, it did much useful work hauling store-sledges on the sea ice of McMurdo Sound.

Day's second expedition was with Captain R.F. Scott's ill-fated British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13 which he joined as motor engineer in charge of two motor tractors. He was the first man to drive a tractor on the Ross Ice Shelf, where the tractors assisted with hauling stores until engine trouble stopped them. Day and his companions man-hauled to a point about 220 miles along Scott's route to the pole.

With medal and other photos and details and an Antarctic Club Christmas card to Mr & Mrs John Edwards signed by Morton & Miriam Moyes. Morton Moyes was a prominent Australian Antarctic expeditioner. Also a letter dated May 11th 1948, handwritten and signed by Bernard Day, regarding his medal and clasps entitlement.