Frank Debenham
Encyclopedia
Frank Debenham, OBE
(26 December 1883 – 23 November 1965) was Emeritus Professor of Geography
at the Cambridge University and first director of the Scott Polar Research Institute
.
with a BA in English and philosophy, then joined the staff at the Anglican Armidale School
in New South Wales.
He returned to university in 1908, studying geology under Sir Edgeworth David
. In 1910 he was one of a group of three geologists on Robert Falcon Scott
's Antarctic
Terra Nova Expedition
(1910–1913). From January to March 1911 Debenham, along with three other expedition members (Thomas Griffith Taylor
, Charles Wright
(physicist) and Edgar Evans
), explored and mapped the western mountains of Victoria Land
(the western journey) performing scientific studies and geological observations. He did not take part in the ill-fated journey to the South pole
due to a knee injury sustained while playing football in the snow. On his return from the expedition in 1913, he entered Cambridge University to write up his field notes.
During World War I
, he was a lieutenant with the 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
. Serving in France and Salonika, Debenham was severely wounded in August 1916. He married Dorothy Lucy Lempriere in January 1917 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire
(O.B.E.) in 1919. The same year he went to Cambridge where he became a fellow of Gonville and Caius College and lecturer in cartography. In 1920, with the help of surplus funds raised by public donations in response to the tragedy, Debenham co-founded the Scott Polar Research Institute
(Cambridge University) with Raymond Priestley
, as a repository of polar information and a centre from which future expeditions could draw on support and experience. Debenham had developed the idea of such a learning centre in 1912 while in Antarctica. He was unpaid director of the Institute from 1920 to 1946. As director of the institute, Debenham, in conjunction with Priestley and one of Shackleton's Endurance scientists, James Wordie
, made Cambridge the centre of polar research in Britain.
In 1931, Debenham was appointed Professor of Geography at Cambridge University. During World War II
he trained service cadets, lectured to Royal Air Force
navigators and devised relief-model techniques for briefing commandos. He was vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society
(1951–53) and was awarded their Victoria Medal
in 1948.
A prolific author, his published works include: "In the Antarctic: Stories of Scott's Last Expedition 1952"; "Antarctica – The story of a continent"; "Discovery & Exploration"; "Kalahari Sand"; "Nyasaland"; "The way to Ilala"; "Study of African Swamp"; "Simple Surveying"; "The use of Geography"; "Map Making"; "The World is Round"; "Space – The Global Atlas".
in 1965, aged 81, survived by his wife, a son and four daughters.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(26 December 1883 – 23 November 1965) was Emeritus Professor of Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at the Cambridge University and first director of the Scott Polar Research Institute
Scott Polar Research Institute
The Scott Polar Research Institute is a centre for research into the polar regions and glaciology worldwide. It is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge, located on Lensfield Road in the south of Cambridge ....
.
Biography
Born in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia in December 1883, the younger twin and third child of Rev. John Willmott Debenham and Edith (née Cleveland). He attended the school run by his father before attending The King's School, Parramatta where he was the top academic and sporting student of his year. He graduated from the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
with a BA in English and philosophy, then joined the staff at the Anglican Armidale School
The Armidale School
The Armidale School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, located in Armidale, on the New England Tablelands of northern New South Wales, Australia...
in New South Wales.
He returned to university in 1908, studying geology under Sir Edgeworth David
Edgeworth David
Sir Tannatt William Edgeworth David KBE, DSO, FRS, was a Welsh Australian geologist and Antarctic explorer. A household name in his lifetime, David's most significant achievements were discovering the major Hunter Valley coalfield in New South Wales and leading the first expedition to reach the...
. In 1910 he was one of a group of three geologists on Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
's Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
Terra Nova Expedition
Terra Nova Expedition
The Terra Nova Expedition , officially the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole. Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald...
(1910–1913). From January to March 1911 Debenham, along with three other expedition members (Thomas Griffith Taylor
Thomas Griffith Taylor
Thomas Griffith "Grif" Taylor was a British / Australian geographer, anthropologist and world explorer. He was a survivor of Captain Robert Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica .-Early life:...
, Charles Wright
C. S. Wright
Sir Charles Seymour Wright, KCB, OBE, MC was a Canadian member of Robert Falcon Scott's Antarctic expedition of 1910-1913, the Terra Nova Expedition....
(physicist) and Edgar Evans
Edgar Evans
Petty Officer Edgar Evans was a member of the Polar Party on Robert Falcon Scott's companions on his ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole in 1911–1912...
), explored and mapped the western mountains of Victoria Land
Victoria Land
Victoria Land is a region of Antarctica bounded on the east by the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and on the west by Oates Land and Wilkes Land. It was discovered by Captain James Clark Ross in January 1841 and named after the UK's Queen Victoria...
(the western journey) performing scientific studies and geological observations. He did not take part in the ill-fated journey to the South pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
due to a knee injury sustained while playing football in the snow. On his return from the expedition in 1913, he entered Cambridge University to write up his field notes.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he was a lieutenant with the 7th Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
. Serving in France and Salonika, Debenham was severely wounded in August 1916. He married Dorothy Lucy Lempriere in January 1917 and was awarded the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(O.B.E.) in 1919. The same year he went to Cambridge where he became a fellow of Gonville and Caius College and lecturer in cartography. In 1920, with the help of surplus funds raised by public donations in response to the tragedy, Debenham co-founded the Scott Polar Research Institute
Scott Polar Research Institute
The Scott Polar Research Institute is a centre for research into the polar regions and glaciology worldwide. It is a sub-department of the Department of Geography in the University of Cambridge, located on Lensfield Road in the south of Cambridge ....
(Cambridge University) with Raymond Priestley
Raymond Priestley
Sir Raymond Edward Priestley was a British geologist and early Antarctic explorer.-Biography:Raymond Priestley was born in Bredon's Norton,Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, in 1886, the second son and second of eight children of Joseph Edward Priestley, headmaster of Tewkesbury grammar school, and his...
, as a repository of polar information and a centre from which future expeditions could draw on support and experience. Debenham had developed the idea of such a learning centre in 1912 while in Antarctica. He was unpaid director of the Institute from 1920 to 1946. As director of the institute, Debenham, in conjunction with Priestley and one of Shackleton's Endurance scientists, James Wordie
James Wordie
Sir James Mann Wordie, CBE was a Scottish polar explorer and geologist.Wordie was born at Partick, Glasgow, in the former county of Lanarkshire in Scotland. He studied at The Glasgow Academy and obtained a BSc in geology from University of Glasgow. He graduated from St John's College, Cambridge...
, made Cambridge the centre of polar research in Britain.
In 1931, Debenham was appointed Professor of Geography at Cambridge University. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he trained service cadets, lectured to Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
navigators and devised relief-model techniques for briefing commandos. He was vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
(1951–53) and was awarded their Victoria Medal
Victoria Medal (geography)
The Victoria Medal is an award presented by the Royal Geographical Society. It is awarded "for conspicuous merit in research in geography" and has been given since 1902.-Past recipients:...
in 1948.
A prolific author, his published works include: "In the Antarctic: Stories of Scott's Last Expedition 1952"; "Antarctica – The story of a continent"; "Discovery & Exploration"; "Kalahari Sand"; "Nyasaland"; "The way to Ilala"; "Study of African Swamp"; "Simple Surveying"; "The use of Geography"; "Map Making"; "The World is Round"; "Space – The Global Atlas".
Death
Frank Debenham died in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
in 1965, aged 81, survived by his wife, a son and four daughters.
Further reading
- The Quiet Land – The Diaries of Frank Debenham, edited by June Debenham. Bluntisham Books: Huntingdon, 1992.