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Albert Ernest Holness (December 12, 1892 - September 9, 1924)
Albert Holness was an English sailor and explorer who served as Fireman on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. His duty was assist William Stephenson and keep lit the fires that provided steam for the engines of the Endurance.
During the expedition, Holness was unfortunate enough to, while they were camping on the ice, have the floe beneath him break in two and send him and his sleeping bag plunging into the Antarctic waters! Shackleton, in his book South!, describes it thus:
"There are two in the water," somebody answered. The crack had widened to about four feet, and as I threw myself down at the edge, I saw a whitish object floating in the water. It was a sleeping-bag with a man inside. I was able to grasp it, and with a heave lifted man and bag on to the floe. A few seconds later the ice-edges came together again with tremendous force. Fortunately, there had been but one man in the water, or the incident might have been a tragedy. The rescued bag contained Holness, who was wet down to the waist but otherwise unscathed. The crack was now opening again. The James Caird and my tent were on one side of the opening and the remaining two boats and the rest of the camp on the other side. With two or three men to help me I struck my tent; then all hands manned the painter and rushed the James Caird across the opening crack.
After hauling him up to safety, Shackleton had Holness pace in circles for the rest of the night so that he would not get hypothermia.
Holness was one of four members of the expedition, along with McNish, Vincent, and Stephenson, that did not receive Polar Medals. While the reasons why McNish and Vincent did not receive the honor are known (McNish’s attempted mutiny, and Vincent’s bullying of the other men), it is not quite clear why Holness and Stephenson were excluded. The true reason is likely lost to history.
When he returned to England, Holness married Lillian Bettles, with whom he produced two daughters and a son. Unfortunately, Holness was one of the many expedition members fated to die early. On September 9, 1924, when he was only 31, Holness, aboard the trawler Lord Lonsdale, was washed overboard off the coast of the Faroe Islands. He was declared “lost at sea” and his body has never been recovered.

Description

Albert Ernest Holness (December 12, 1892 - September 9, 1924)
Albert Holness was an English sailor and explorer who served as Fireman on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. His duty was assist William Stephenson and keep lit the fires that provided steam for the engines of the Endurance.
During the expedition, Holness was unfortunate enough to, while they were camping on the ice, have the floe beneath him break in two and send him and his sleeping bag plunging into the Antarctic waters! Shackleton, in his book South!, describes it thus:
"There are two in the water," somebody answered. The crack had widened to about four feet, and as I threw myself down at the edge, I saw a whitish object floating in the water. It was a sleeping-bag with a man inside. I was able to grasp it, and with a heave lifted man and bag on to the floe. A few seconds later the ice-edges came together again with tremendous force. Fortunately, there had been but one man in the water, or the incident might have been a tragedy. The rescued bag contained Holness, who was wet down to the waist but otherwise unscathed. The crack was now opening again. The James Caird and my tent were on one side of the opening and the remaining two boats and the rest of the camp on the other side. With two or three men to help me I struck my tent; then all hands manned the painter and rushed the James Caird across the opening crack.
After hauling him up to safety, Shackleton had Holness pace in circles for the rest of the night so that he would not get hypothermia.
Holness was one of four members of the expedition, along with McNish, Vincent, and Stephenson, that did not receive Polar Medals. While the reasons why McNish and Vincent did not receive the honor are known (McNish’s attempted mutiny, and Vincent’s bullying of the other men), it is not quite clear why Holness and Stephenson were excluded. The true reason is likely lost to history.
When he returned to England, Holness married Lillian Bettles, with whom he produced two daughters and a son. Unfortunately, Holness was one of the many expedition members fated to die early. On September 9, 1924, when he was only 31, Holness, aboard the trawler Lord Lonsdale, was washed overboard off the coast of the Faroe Islands. He was declared “lost at sea” and his body has never been recovered.