Gino Watkins
Encyclopedia
Henry George "Gino" Watkins FRGS
(29 January 1907 – c. 20 August 1932) was a British
Arctic explorer
.
Born in London, he was educated at Lancing College
and acquired a love of mountaineering
and the outdoors from his father through holidays in the Alps
, the Tyrol
and the English Lake District
. He became interested in polar exploration while studying at the University of Cambridge
under the tutelage of James Wordie
and organised his first expedition, to Edgeøya
, in the summer of 1927.
Watkins also learnt to fly, as one of the first members of the Cambridge University Air Squadron
.
In 1928-9, Watkins made an expedition to Labrador
, where he explored much previously unmapped territory, including Snegamook Lake
. However, his most important expedition was the British Arctic Air Route Expedition
of 1930–31. Watkins led a team of fourteen men to survey the east coast of Greenland
and monitor weather conditions there, the information being needed for a planned air route from England
to Winnipeg
. In addition to meeting these aims, the expedition discovered the Skaergaard intrusion
, and Watkins and two companions made a 600 mile open boat journey around the south coast of Greenland. The expedition won Watkins a Founders Medal from the Royal Geographical Society
, and brought him international fame. In addition, one of the members of Watkins' expedition, Augustine Courtauld
, solo-manned a meteorological obseration post in the interior of the Greenland ice pack during the 1930-31 winter, generating the first data set from this previously inaccessible location. The expedition also included as ski expert and naturalist Freddie Spencer Chapman
, who would later gain fame as a soldier in Japanese-occupied Malaya.
Watkins next attempted to organise an expedition to cross Antarctica, but in the depths of the Great Depression
finance proved impossible to raise. Instead he returned to Greenland in 1932 with a small team to continue the work of his air route expedition. On 20 August he went hunting for seal
s in his kayak
in Tugtilik Fjord and did not return. Later that day, his empty kayak was found floating upside down by his companions. His body was never found.
Watkins is commemorated by the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, managed by the Royal Geographical Society and the University of Cambridge, which provides grants for polar exploration. Watkins Island
, a sub-Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean
, commemorates Watkins.
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
(29 January 1907 – c. 20 August 1932) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Arctic explorer
Arctic exploration
Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. The region that surrounds the North Pole. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle...
.
Born in London, he was educated at Lancing College
Lancing College
Lancing College is a co-educational English independent school in the British public school tradition, founded in 1848 by Nathaniel Woodard. Woodard's aim was to provide education "based on sound principle and sound knowledge, firmly grounded in the Christian faith." Lancing was the first of a...
and acquired a love of mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
and the outdoors from his father through holidays in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, the Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
and the English Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
. He became interested in polar exploration while studying at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
under the tutelage of 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...
and organised his first expedition, to Edgeøya
Edgeøya
Edgeøya, occasionally anglicised as Edge Island, is an uninhabited Norwegian island in southeast of the Svalbard archipelago; it is the third largest island in this archipelago. An Arctic island, it forms part of the South East Svalbard Nature Reserve, home to polar bears and reindeer. Its eastern...
, in the summer of 1927.
Watkins also learnt to fly, as one of the first members of the Cambridge University Air Squadron
Cambridge University Air Squadron
Cambridge University Air Squadron, abbreviated CUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Cambridge and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. It is the oldest of 14 University Air Squadrons in the UK...
.
In 1928-9, Watkins made an expedition to Labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
, where he explored much previously unmapped territory, including Snegamook Lake
Snegamook lake
Snegamook Lake is a medium sized lake in central Labrador . The lake lies within the easternmost part of the Canadian Shield and is about 22 km long, 7 km wide, at elevation 130 m AMSL and is located at ....
. However, his most important expedition was the British Arctic Air Route Expedition
British Arctic Air Route Expedition
The British Arctic Air Route Expedition was a privately-funded expedition to the east coast and interior of the island of Greenland. The expedition, led by Gino Watkins, aimed to draw improved maps and charts of poorly-understood sections of Greenland's coastline, and to gather climate data from...
of 1930–31. Watkins led a team of fourteen men to survey the east coast of Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
and monitor weather conditions there, the information being needed for a planned air route from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. In addition to meeting these aims, the expedition discovered the Skaergaard intrusion
Skaergaard intrusion
The Skaergaard intrusion is a layered igneous intrusion in East Greenland. It comprises various rock types including gabbro, ferro diorite, anorthosite and granophyre.Discovered by Lawrence Wager...
, and Watkins and two companions made a 600 mile open boat journey around the south coast of Greenland. The expedition won Watkins a Founders Medal from 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...
, and brought him international fame. In addition, one of the members of Watkins' expedition, Augustine Courtauld
Augustine Courtauld
Augustine Courtauld , often called August Courtauld, was a yachtsman and British Arctic explorer, best known for serving as the solo meteorologist of a winter observation post, Icecap Station, located in the interior of Greenland in 1930-1931...
, solo-manned a meteorological obseration post in the interior of the Greenland ice pack during the 1930-31 winter, generating the first data set from this previously inaccessible location. The expedition also included as ski expert and naturalist Freddie Spencer Chapman
Freddie Spencer Chapman
Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Spencer Chapman, DSO & Bar, ED was a British Army officer and World War II veteran, most famous for his exploits behind enemy lines in Japanese occupied Malaya...
, who would later gain fame as a soldier in Japanese-occupied Malaya.
Watkins next attempted to organise an expedition to cross Antarctica, but in the depths of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
finance proved impossible to raise. Instead he returned to Greenland in 1932 with a small team to continue the work of his air route expedition. On 20 August he went hunting for seal
Pinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
s in his kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
in Tugtilik Fjord and did not return. Later that day, his empty kayak was found floating upside down by his companions. His body was never found.
Watkins is commemorated by the Gino Watkins Memorial Fund, managed by the Royal Geographical Society and the University of Cambridge, which provides grants for polar exploration. Watkins Island
Watkins Island
Watkins Island is a low lying, ice-covered island long, lying SW of Lavoisier Island in the Biscoe Islands. The island was first mapped by the French Antarctic Expedition under Jean-Baptiste Charcot, 1903–05 and 1908–10, but remained unnamed until resighted by the BGLE under Rymill, 1934–37. He...
, a sub-Antarctic island in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
, commemorates Watkins.
Further reading
- Courtauld, Simon, The Watkins Boys, London, Michael Russell, 2010. ISBN 97680859553186
External links
- Forgotten Travellers: Watkins, Explorer, England Essay on Gino Watkins
- Photograph of Gino Watkins at the National Portrait Gallery