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Auction: 25002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 16

Sold by Order of the Family

The Arctic Medal attributed to Boy 1st Class G. W. Chambers, Royal Navy, who was the youngest member of Sir John Franklin's doomed vessel Erebus of their famous voyage in the search for the North West Passage

Arctic 1818-55, unnamed as issued, nearly extremely fine

Roll confirms Medal signed for by his mother, Jane Chambers, with her mark (British Polar Exploration & Research, Poulsom & Myers refers). Thence by descent.

George William Chambers was born on 5 September 1827 at Church Hill, Woolwich Dockyard, London and was baptised on 28 September that year. He was from a long line of seaman, his father Thomas being a Royal Marine who was aboard the Bellerophon at the Battle of Trafalgar in October 1805. Thomas had clearly made some connection to a young Midshipman Franklin who also shared in the action. Three of his brothers also joined the Senior Service.

Arctic adventurer - Erebus & Terror

Young Chambers was just seventeen when appointed as one of two Boys 1st Class aboard Franklin's Erebus. As it was, his duties would have extended to serve the officers, carry messages, wash clothes, besides cooking and serving meals. The vessels both had significant prior experience in both Arctic and Antarctic waters and their mission was to chart the yet-proven North West Passage. Setting sail in May 1845, they were last seen by the whaler Enterprise on 28 July 1845 secured to an iceberg. The experiences for the men would have been dreadful. The last definite information confirmed is that both vessels were abandoned on 22 April 1848 from a message left by Captains Crozier and Fitzjames. No trace of the men was ever found and their final months, weeks and days must have been a ghastly death. For decades afterwards, search expeditions were made in order to attempt to find the doomed crews and their fate. It was not until 2014 that the wreck of Erebus was found in eastern portion of Queen Maud Gulf. Two years later the wreck of Terror was discovered south of King William Island.

Historians have continually spilled ink since all trace was lost and a plethora of worthy publications and books tell the story at length.

The fictional work I Am Canada: Graves of Ice: The Lost Franklin Expedition was written from the mind of the young Chambers to tell the story, whilst he is further played by Sam Rintoul in the recent television adaption The Terror. His name features on the 1866 memorial plaque in Waterloo Place, St James's, whilst his family have regularly attended memorial events in his honour.

Sold together with Marriage and Birth Certificates of relatives, invitations and programmes to various events and copied research including family tree demonstrating the line of passage of this Medal.

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Estimate
£1,500 to £2,000

Starting price
£1200