Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The important and historic Scott’s First and Second Expedition group of seven to Chief Petty Officer T. S. Williamson, Royal Navy, one of the search party who discovered the bodies of Captain Scott and his companions

(a) 1914-15 Star (174570 T. S. Williamson, C.P.O., R.N.)

(b) British War and Victory Medals (174570 T. S. Williamson C.P.O. R.N.)

(c) Polar Medal 1904, E.VII.R., silver, 2 clasps, Antarctic 1902-04, Antarctic 1910-13 (A.B., T. S. Williamson, “Discovery”)

(d) Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 1st issue (174570 T. S. Williamson, C.P.O. H.M.S. Attentive)

(e) Royal Geographical Society Special Medal for the Antarctic Expedition 1902-04, silver (T. S. Williamson, R.N.) contained in its Wyon case of issue, the catch damaged

(f) Royal Geographical Society Scott Memorial Medal 1913, bronze (T. S. Williamson, R.N., Terra Nova) light contact marks to Polar medal and L.S. & G.C., otherwise generally good very fine and extremely rare £15000-20000

Thomas Soulsby Williamson was born in Sunderland, Durham, on 6 October 1877, and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy 2nd Class on 30 July 1893, aged 15 years 9 months. He was serving aboard H.M.S. Pactolus prior to joining the Discovery as an Able Seaman in July 1901. He served throughout Scott’s First Expedition and was one of thirty-seven men to receive the silver Polar Medal with clasp, Antarctic 1902-04. He was also promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class, ‘in recognition of his services in Discovery.’

Williamson subsequently joined the Terra Nova for Scott’s Second Expedition as a petty officer, and was amongst those who landed at Cape Evans in January 1911. He then returned to New Zealand in Terra Nova, rejoining the main party in February 1912. In April 1912 he was one of the party which attempted the relief of Victor Campbell’s Northern Party. He was also a member of the search party of eight men under the command of Charles Wright which left Hut Point, Ross Island, on 30 October 1912, on the journey which ended on 12 November with the discovery of the tent containing the bodies of Scott and other members of the South Pole party. Williamson kept a journal whilst on expedition and the following is his entry for 12 November 1912:

‘About 6am this morning we saw what we thought to be one of last year’s cairns, but could not make out why a bamboo should have been left there. Nobody seemed to recollect having left a bamboo in this latitude.

However, Mr Wright our navigator left us and went over to see what it was, we in the meantime resting our ponies. We all stood looking towards Mr Wright and he made motions for us to make towards him and as we drew nearer towards him the thing that we had supposed was one of last year’s cairns was one of our tents, three parts buried in the snow. Mr Wright came towards us and said it was the Party, but how many he could not say. It was a great blow to us and I must own I shed a few tears and I know the others did the same. It came as a great shock to us all although we knew full well for months past that we should meet with this sort of thing.

Everyone seemed dumbfounded, we did not touch anything but just stood gazing and wondering what awful secrets this tent had for us on opening it.

Some of the men began to clear the snow away from the tent. I did not go over for quite a good time for I fear I could not look at this most pitiable scene. But when at last I made up my mind I saw a most ghastly sight, three sleeping bags with frozen bodies in them. The one in the middle I recognized as Capt. Scott, our most brave and kind-hearted leader, the other two bodies I did not see nor did I care to see them poor fellows.

Captain Scott’s face and hands looked to me like old alabaster. His face was very pinched and his hands, I should say, had been terribly frost-bitten. The Dr. informed us the other two bodies were those of our brave comrades Dr. Wilson and Lt. Bowers.

The Dr. read the burial service over them and we covered the bodies over with blocks of snow, never again in my life do I want to behold the sight we have just seen and which will forever be vividly impressed upon my memory.’

Williamson was promoted to Chief Petty Officer status ‘in recognition of services rendered with the Antarctic Expedition, to date 14/6/12,’ and also received the clasp, Antarctic 1910-13, to his Polar Medal. After the Terra Nova expedition he rejoined the Royal Navy and served in destroyers during the Great War and was wounded when his ship, H.M.S. Viking, was mined on 29 January 1916. Williamson was discharged to shore and demobilized on 17 March 1919. He died in January 1940 at the age of 63, a labourer in Portsmouth Dockyard.

Williamson is one of only seven men who received the Polar Medal with clasps for both Scott’s First and Second Expeditions. Taking account of those known to be held by various institutions, this is possibly the only such medal still available to collectors. Williamson’s original antarctic journals were sold at auction in 1967 and are now held by the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.