Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
|||
Line 40:
Priestley returned to the Antarctic as a member of [[Robert Falcon Scott]]'s ill-fated [[Terra Nova Expedition]] (1910-1913), after being recruited by Scott when the Terra Nova arrived in Sydney. Three weeks after landing at [[Cape Evans]] in January 1911, Priestley and five others departed in the expedition ship, the [[Terra Nova (ship)|Terra Nova]] to explore and carry out scientific work in King Edward VII land to the east under the leadership of [[Victor Campbell (Royal Navy officer)|Victor Campbell]]. Unable to find a suitable landing site, they decided to return West with the intention of landing at the [[Bay of Whales]] but arriving on 3 February 1911 they encountered [[Roald Amundsen]]'s ship [[Fram]] and his expedition already camped there. Unwilling to establish a camp so close to the Norwegians, Campbell decided to explore the coastline of [[Victoria Land]] instead. After returning to Cape Evans and reporting Amundsen's location to Scott, they set off North to Victoria Land where they established a hut near [[Carsten Borchgrevink]]'s 1898 site at [[Cape Adare]]. In January 1912, the six man party was taken 200 miles farther south by the Terra Nova to [[Terra Nova Bay]], midway between Cape Evans and Cape Adare, for summer fieldwork. They had provisions for eight weeks but their tents were badly damaged by a gale and the Terra Nova was unable to penetrate the ice pack and pick up the party as arranged. Realising that they would have to winter where they were, they excavated a small 12 foot by 9 foot ice cave in a snow drift and remained there in the shelter they nicknamed "[[Inexpressible Island]]" for almost 7 months until the end of the Austral winter, supplementing their meagre rations with seal and penguin. With two of the party weak from [[enteritis]], they left their temporary home on 30 September 1912 and walked for five weeks, fortuitously finding a cache of food and fuel along the way which had been left by the expedition's western party the previous year. They eventually arrived safely back at [[Cape Evans]] on 7 November 1912, only to be informed that Scott and the entire Polar party had perished months earlier.
Priestley served in the [[British Army]] during [[World War I]], receiving a commission as a temporary [[second lieutenant]] in the [[Royal Engineers]] (London Wireless Signal Company) on 5 September 1914.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=28892 |date=4 September 1914 |page=7008 |supp=|nolink=y}}</ref> He was seconded on 9 December 1914,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29051|date=26 January 1915 |page=888 |supp=y|nolink=y}}</ref> and was appointed an adjutant and promoted to temporary [[Lieutenant (British Army and Royal Marines)|lieutenant]] on 15 April 1915.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29223|date=6 July 1915 |page=6684 |supp=y|nolink=y}}</ref> Priestley served as adjutant at the Wireless Training Centre (1914–17), then with the [[46th (North Midland) Divisional Signal Company]] R.E. in France, and was promoted to temporary [[Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)|captain]] on 5 February 1916.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=29463|date=4 February 1916 |page=1367 |supp=|nolink=y}}</ref> He was involved in the [[taking of the Riqueval Bridge]], part of the [[Hindenburg line]], by the 137th Infantry Brigade and was awarded the [[Military Cross]]
{{quote|Lt. (T/Capt.) Raymond Edward Priestley, 46th (N. Mid.) Div. Coy., R.E., T.F.
Near Bellenglise on 2nd, 3rd and 4th October, 1918, he was in charge of the executive handling of the signal communications and was mainly instrumental in keeping touch with units during the attack on Ramicourt and Montbrehain. His efficiency and enthusiasm were most marked. He showed utter disregard of danger during his duty on the lines over the whole of the shelled area.}}
==Post-war career==
| |||