Shackles, The Boss

“For scientific discovery, give me Scott; for speed and efficiency of travel, give me Amundsen; but when you are in a hopeless situation, when you are seeing no way out, get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.” Raymond Priestley.

It's October 1914 and Perce Blackborow thinks he's in the right place at the right time. The place is Buenos Aires. The time is just days before Ernest Shackleton is to set sail from its' harbour on his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.

Blackborow is a mere 18 years of age and dying to join his fellow sailor, Able Seaman Bakewell, upon this 'adventure'. But due to his inexperience he is not hired. So, doing what any young lad with a bit of spirit would do, he stows away on board.

A mere three days into the expedition he is discovered. Shackles is NOT happy with him. He's the first to be eaten should the men have to turn to cannibalism.

Within 200 miles of Antarctica The Endurance gets trapped in the ice pack. It remains trapped for 10 months, before being crushed and sinking. To put it mildly, the 28 crew members are in a tight spot. They have to camp out upon the drifting pack. With nobody knowing where they are.

Was Blackborow really in the wrong place at the wrong time?