Surgeon Captain Edward W. Bingham , was a British Royal Navy officer and

polar explorer This list is for recognised pioneering explorers of the polar regions. It does not include subsequent travelers and expeditions. Polar explorers * Jameson Adams * Stian Aker * Valerian Albanov * Roald Amundsen * Salomon August Andrée * Piotr ...

who had the rare third clasp added to his

Polar Medal The Polar Medal is a medal awarded by the Sovereign of the United Kingdom to individuals who have outstanding achievements in the field of polar research, and particularly for those who have worked over extended periods in harsh climates. It ...

.Obituaries - Cambridge Journals
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Biography

Edward (Ted) William Bingham was born on 2 January 1901 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, the son of the headmaster of Dungannon Royal School. In 1926 he graduated in medicine from Trinity College, Dublin. Joining the Royal Navy in 1928, in 1930 he volunteered to become a member of the British Arctic Air Route Expedition (BAARE) led by

Gino Watkins Henry George "Gino" Watkins FRGS (29 January 1907 – c. 20 August 1932) was a British Arctic explorer and nephew of Bolton Eyres-Monsell, 1st Viscount Monsell. Biography Born in London, he was educated at Lancing College and acquired a lov ...

, exploring the east coast and interior of Greenland. He took part as the expedition doctor and to be in charge of the expedition's

sled dog A sled dog is a dog trained and used to pull a land vehicle in harness, most commonly a sled over snow. Sled dogs have been used in the Arctic for at least 8,000 years and, along with watercraft, were the only transportation in Arctic areas ...

s. He was in the party that established a meteorological station on the ice cap. With surveyor Alfred Stephenson and geologist

Lawrence Wager Lawrence Rickard Wager, commonly known as Bill Wager, (5 February 1904 – 20 November 1965) was a British geologist, explorer and mountaineer, described as "one of the finest geological thinkers of his generation"Vincent and best remembered for ...

he took part in a three-month journey to map the ice cap border of the

Schweizerland Schweizerland, also known as Schweizerland Alps, is a mountain range in King Christian IX Land, eastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Sermersooq Municipality.Google Earth Its highest point is one of the highest peaks in G ...

mountains and to attempt the ascent of

Mont Forel Mont Forel is a mountain in King Christian IX Land, Sermersooq Municipality, Greenland. It is part of the Schweizerland range, also known as 'Schweizerland Alps'. This peak is located in a popular climbing destination, together with the Watkins ...

, the highest point of the range. Back from Greenland, he was appointed to carry out an hydrographic survey of the coastal area of the

Labrador Peninsula The Labrador Peninsula, or Quebec-Labrador Peninsula, is a large peninsula in eastern Canada. It is bounded by the Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, the Labrador Sea to the east, and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the sout ...

on HMS Challenger for two years. He wintered at Nain and, whilst working by dog sled, increased his experience of

huskies Husky is a general term for a dog used in the polar regions, primarily and specifically for work as sled dogs. It refers to a traditional northern type, notable for its cold-weather tolerance and overall hardiness. Modern racing huskies that mai ...

and dog team driving. Bingham went to

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

with the 1934-1937 British Graham Land Expedition, led by his former BAARE teammate

John Rymill John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

, as medical officer and in charge of the dog sled teams. He took part in a major 535 mile trip across Graham Land from a base on the

Debenham Islands The Debenham Islands are a group of islands and rocks lying between Millerand Island and the west coast of Graham Land. The Debenham Islands were discovered and named by the British Graham Land Expedition (BGLE) (1934–37) under John Riddoch ...

to within sight of the Weddell Sea that proved that Graham Land was part of a peninsula not an island as previously thought. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

Bingham was a Surgeon Commander at the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth until July 1941. He then served on HMS Duke of York, as Principal Medical Officer, contributing with his Arctic and Antarctic knowledge to the manufacture of improved protective cold-weather clothing for Royal Navy ship watchkeepers and lookouts. Following various shore appointments, in 1945 Bingham was seconded to the Colonial Office to lead the newly formed

Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is the United Kingdom's national polar research institute. It has a dual purpose, to conduct polar science, enabling better understanding of global issues, and to provide an active presence in the Antarctic o ...

(FIDS). He was responsible for recruitment, procurement of supplies and equipment, including sledge dogs, and once in the field for the establishment of three new bases, at Stonington Island, Marguerite Bay; Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, and Argentine Islands, Palmer Archipelago. He wintered at Stonington Island in 1946, returned to the UK in 1947 and administered the London Office of FIDS for a year before re-entering regular naval service. Bingham was Principal Medical Officer at the Royal Naval Air Station Eglinton, 1948–52, and was promoted to Surgeon Captain in 1951. This was followed by service as Fleet Medical Officer in HMS Vanguard, and finally as Principal Medical Officer at the Royal Naval Air Station Lee-on-Solent. He retired from active Royal Navy service in 1957. He died on 1 September 1993, aged 92.

Honours

Bingham Glacier Bingham Glacier is a glacier long flowing eastward to the east coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, with Cape Reichelderfer as its southern portal. The coast where Bingham Glacier reaches the Larsen Ice Shelf was photographed by Sir Hubert Wilkin ...

in Palmer Land,

, is named in his honour. *

1932 (Arctic 1930–31), 2nd clasp 1939 (Antarctic 1935–37), 3rd clasp 1953 (Antarctic 1946). * OBE 1947. * Murchison Grant awarded by the Royal Geographical Society 1950.

References

External links

British Antarctic Oral History Project
- interview with Bingham 1985
Archives - Edward Bingham Collection at Scott Polar Research Institute

Archives - Riley, British Arctic Air Route Expedition, Collection at Scott Polar Research Institute

Archives - Scott Polar Research Institute
- records of the British Graham Land Expedition
Archives - British Antarctic Survey
- reports, files and photographs of Bingham's service with FIDS {{DEFAULTSORT:Bingham, E.W. 1901 births 1993 deaths Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Irish officers in the Royal Navy 20th-century Anglo-Irish people British polar explorers Explorers of the Arctic Royal Navy officers of World War II People from Dungannon Recipients of the Polar Medal Alumni of Trinity College Dublin Military personnel from County Tyrone Explorers from Northern Ireland

Biography

Honours

References

Further reading

External links