Some reflections on Stoker William Lashly, A.M., R.N. on the 150th anniversary of his birth

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Author: Skinner, George David
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2017
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Antarctic; Antarc*; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247417000146; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247417000146

ABSTRACT On the 150th anniversary of the birth of William Lashly, this paper explores what may be deduced about this stoker, who accompanied Scott on both his expeditions, from archived unpublished correspondence and artefacts. It draws particularly on letters he wrote to Reginald Skelton and Robert Gibbings and concludes that Lashly, in addition to being a physically strong member of Scott's teams, was also a thoughtful and perceptive man with the ability to report and reflect beyond what might have been expected of someone of his background and education. Though modest, Lashly was proud of what the he and his colleagues had achieved and remained an enthusiast for Antarctic matters all his life.