Sailors from doomed Arctic mission with no survivors identified by DNA
The remains of sailors who died on an ill-fated Arctic expedition have been identified by researchers using DNA testing.
Built at Pembroke Dock in 1826, the Victorian HMS Erebus became a part of maritime folklore when it disappeared in the mid-19th century.
All sailors on board died after the ship became trapped in the ice, some resorting to cannibalism in their desperate attempt to survive.
Now, researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have identified three sailors who were on the ship and contacted their living descendants.
Previously unseen artifacts from the wreck, including a bowl and a police officer’s boot, will be displayed at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre.
What was HMS Erebus?
HMS Erebus, captained by Sir John Franklin, set sail in 1845.
Accompanied by HMS Terror, he was searching for the legendary Northwest Passage.
Sir John had 128 sailors with him, all aiming to find the elusive sea route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Arctic seas off the coast of Northern Canada.
But tragedy struck in 1846 when both ships became stuck in freezing cold ice.
105 people who survived the accident, which was stranded for two years and killed 24 people, tried to save themselves by walking across the frozen sea, pulling heavy sleds in -20C temperatures.
No one survived and the exact fate of HMS Erebus was unknown until 2014, when its wreck was unearthed in the icy waters of Northern Canada.
An artist’s impression of Erebus and Terror from a previous successful mission [Getty Images]
Dr Douglas Stenton, of the University of Waterloo, who exhumed the sailors’ remains, said the conditions they encountered were depressing.
“We cannot imagine that all 105 men were healthy enough to pull these very heavy sleds. They were almost 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the coast, so there was not much opportunity to buy fresh food.
“Something went seriously wrong. Was it lead poisoning? Was it scurvy? Was it beriberi (disease)? We don’t know for sure.”
A previous study of more than 400 bones by Dr Stenton’s late colleague Dr Anne Keenleyside found evidence of cannibalism on some of the corpses.
‘The road to their deaths’
The university’s newest research matched DNA from the remains to living descendants. Researchers contacted 130 families in seven countries.
This enabled them to identify three more crew members from the Erebus, including Able Seaman William Orren, cabin boy David Young and a steward named John Bridgens.
Harry Peglar, captain of HMS Terror, has also been identified.
There was no evidence of cannibalism in his remains.
When they abandoned their ship, Dr. Stenton said the sailors “were stepping on a path that would lead them to their own deaths and, in a sense, darkness.”
“Today’s grandchildren’s families don’t have a lot of information about what happened to them,” he said.
“I think it’s fitting that the descendants of the men who never made it home will help write this new chapter of the expedition.”
Researchers also helped create the facial likeness of flight attendant David Young.
“When you combine forensic facial reconstructions with DNA work, I think it brings people into the story in a way that they can relate to it. Certainly the general public, but also family members,” Dr Stenton said.
Many artifacts recovered from the wreck of the ship will now be exhibited at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Center for the first time.
Rare items loaned by the Royal Navy Museum include a bowl and dinner plate, a boot and belt buckle, and an ointment container.
“Because they are so sensitive, we had to buy a hermetically sealed case that ensures the humidity is correct,” said Tim Payne, a trustee of the heritage center.
“It’s incredible that there are things like the shoes worn by an officer on HMS Erebus.”
The new exhibition will open at the Pembroke Dock Heritage Center on June 8, 200 years after the Erebus was launched from the dockyard in June 1826.
Four descendants of the Erebus crew, including a relative of Captain Franklin, will be at the exhibit opening, as well as a relative of David Young.
“The great, great, great uncle of one of our local supporters was actually a cabin boy on HMS Erebus.
“He offered to lend his family’s Arctic Medal, which was on display,” Tim said.
A model of HMS Erebus on display at Pembroke Dock Heritage Center [Pembroke Dock Heritage Centre]
HMS Erebus was originally built by the Royal Navy as a bomb carrier; A special ship with a reinforced frame designed to withstand the shock of firing large guns.
Although relatively small, Erebus was very powerful, making it ideal for polar exploration where it would wrestle with sea ice.
He and his crew contributed to important scientific discoveries on several successful missions to Antarctica between 1841 and 1843, before meeting a tragic and terrible end in the frozen waters of the Arctic Circle.
Tim said the story still captures people’s imagination today.
“It’s full circle,” he said.
“(Pembroke Dock) launched this ship on June 7, 1826, and it was rediscovered in 2014. I think it brings home the local aspect of Pembroke Dock and speaks to the wonderful history we have.”
HMS Erebus: From Dockyard to Discovery runs at Pembroke Dock Heritage Center from 8 June until the end of October.
