Although the two never met, they shared the same passion for exploration and adventure, both dying tragically in their early thirties. From the age of 20 Lawrence Oates served in the Boer war. As the battle ensued his men began to run out of ammunition. After getting most of his men to safety he was invited by the enemy to surrender. A boy named Oates- one of those youngsters that will go far.
After the Boer war Oates was posted in India, at a time of relative peace. There was much time for leisure and Oates even brought up his dogs so that he could hunt. However the acceptance caught him off guard and he had to write a rather apologetic letter to his mother back at home.
I have offered my services to the Antarctic Expedition which starts this summer from home under Scott. I did not do so as I thought there was very little chance of my being taken. Scott and Oates disagreed about the ponies, Lawrence was sceptical that they would last long, and was proved right.
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Captain Cook's Merchant Ships Buy. Everest Revealed Buy. Ice Captain: The Life of J. Stenhouse Buy. Ancestors on the Move Buy. Tropic Suns Buy. Although the Boers were repulsed, an enemy bullet shattered Capt Oates's thigh, leaving him with a limp and one leg shorter than the other. This injury would cause him further pain towards the end of his life, when the chill of the Antarctic intensified the effect of his injuries.
Yet his war wounds did not deter him from leading an active life. While in India in , his love of hunting - one of his favourite pursuits along with racing and boxing - resulted in him taking an unusual step. He was so unimpressed with the foxhounds he found in the country, he got his brother to send out a fresh pack of dogs from England so he could hunt to the standard he desired. And when Capt Scott advertised for crew for his scientific expedition, the soldier raised the funds needed to secure a place on the team.
He just needed to tell his mother, who reportedly controlled the family estate, and make sure he got the necessary permissions from the War Office.
He signed up to be a midshipman on the Terra Nova - the ship taking the men to their destination - but Capt Scott did not send him to Siberia to get the ponies required for the expedition, despite this being his area of expertise. But in a letter to Mrs Oates in October , Capt Scott acknowledged that her son had played an integral role on the team by caring for the beasts. Everything depends on the successful work of these animals and your son kindly took charge of them," he wrote.
Capt Oates's great-nephew Bryan - who lent many of the documents on show in the exhibition - said that his great-uncle had a mutual respect for Capt Scott, although they did not agree on every aspect of the organisation of the trip.
Mr Oates said: "He came from such a secure background that he did not feel that he had to kowtow to anyone - yet he would obey orders implicitly. Capt Scott sought sponsorship and publicity for the expedition - at least before Norwegian Roald Amundsen decided he would also compete for the crown of being the first one to conquer the south pole.
In a letter Capt Oates wrote to his mother in , his distaste for this showmanship was clear: "I must say we have made far too much noise about ourselves, all the photographing, cheering, steaming through the fleet etc etc is rot, and if we fail will only make us look more foolish. In another letter to his mother, dated 28 October , he voiced the thought of returning home, but added he did not want to "spoil" his chances of being on the final leg of the journey as "the regiment and perhaps the whole Army would be pleased if I was at the pole".
But the men struggled to reach the point where they believed the south pole was. It became more apparent that the ponies chosen were not fit for the job - proving Capt Oates right. And Capt Oates noted he was facing constant trouble with his wet feet as the party travelled along the hardened ice. When the men eventually came across the remnants of the Norwegian expedition's camp, a sombre mood came over them.
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