The Animals of Endurance and Their Morale Boosting Qualities
Amy Priest
Mrs. Chippy
The Dogs
McNeish's Grave
Tom Crean with puppies - Roger, Toby, Nelson, and Nellie
- Buried in Karori Cemetery in New Zealand
- In 2004, a group placed a life sized statue of Mrs. Chippy on his grave
- McNeish's grandson said "I think he would be over the moon about the statue. The cat was more important to him than the Polar Medal
Receiving a Name
Climbing Aboard
- Originally Harry McNeish's (the carpenter) cat
- The cat had curled up in McNeish's toolbox, "as though determined to be included"
Jumping Overboard
- Chippy - Affectionate British colloquialism for carpenter
- The cat followed McNeish around the ship like "an overpossessive wife - earning the name Mrs. Chippy
- They later discovered Mrs. Chippy was a Mr. but the name had already stuck
Mrs. Chippy's Death
- Pg. 65-66 only time mentioned in the novel
- Shackleton ordered for the "weaklings" to be shot
- October 30, 1915
- In the middle of the night, Mrs. Chippy jumped out of cabin porthole into South Atlantic Ocean
- Hubert Hudson heard the cat and turned the ship around to retrieve him
- Spent nearly ten minutes in the freezing water but somehow was okay
- Recorded on September 13, 1814 by Thomas Orde-Lees
The Aftermath and Polar Medal Snub
The Dog Teams
Mrs. Chippy and the Dogs
- Enjoyed provoking the dogs by climbing on top of their kennels and sitting just out of reach
- In 1915, John Vincent accused Mrs. Chippy of "unnecessarily provoking" them
- He picked Mrs. Chippy up and threatened to throw him to the dogs
- Blackboro rescued Mrs. Chippy
- A formal complaint against Vincent was made and he was demoted because of the incident
Macklin and James giving medicine to a sick dog
- McNeish never forgave Shackleton for the Mrs. Chippy's death
- Many speculate this caused more disagreements between them
- Including McNeish's failed one man rebellion
- Despite his flaws, McNeish proved invaluable to the expedition, repairing and readying boats for journey
- Had his own mixture of flour, oil paint, and seal blood to caulk boat seams
- After expedition, Shackleton recommended all but four men for the Polar Medal (McNeish being excluded)
Frank Wild
"I have known many men who I would have rather shot than these dogs."
Chippy's New Job
Macklin wrote...
"of all the men in the party no-one more deserved recognition than the old carpenter... I would regard the withholding of the Polar Medal from McNeish as a great injustice."
John Vincent
"I ate two of the dog steaks, they tasted just fine!"
- The only real picture of Mrs. Chippy
- With Perce Blackboro
- Shackleton was pleased to have the cat around
- Proved very useful for catching mice and protecting food stores
The Animals' Importance
- Entertainment
- Companionship
- Sense of purpose
- Reminders of home
- Stress relief
Works Cited
- http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/chippy.html
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
- Wikipedia
- https://findery.com/MadameSpooky/notes/harry-mcneish-and-mrs-chippy
- www.coolantarctica.com
- http://www.enduranceobituaries.co.uk/thedogs.htm