Alfred B. Cheetham(1867-1918)
Alf Cheetham was born in Liverpool, but spent his formative years in Hull (in the East Riding of Yorkshire), where he developed a love for things nautical. As a teenager he began working in the North Sea fishing fleets, and he later joined the merchant navy. He married Eliza Sawyer, and they had 13 children together.
Cheetham's first experience of the Antarctic came as a sailor on 'Morning', one of the two relief ships for Robert Falcon Scott's British National Antarctic Expedition 1902-04 ('Discovery'). Several years later he returned as third officer and boatswain on Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 ('Nimrod'). The boatswain was in charge of the ship's rigging, anchor, general equipment, and deck crew. Although Cheetham was not part of the shore party, he assisted some of the sub-Antarctic oceanographic and geographical research conducted on the voyage back to London under John King Davis.
Cheetham next served as the boatswain for 'Terra Nova' on Scott's last expedition British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13. By the time he was named third officer of 'Endurance' on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, he was one of the most experienced Antarctic hands in the world.
Upon his return from the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Cheetham learned that his 16-year-old son William had died while serving on SS Adriatic. Cheetham himself quickly enlisted in the merchant marine. He was serving as second officer on the minesweeper SS Prunelle when she was torpedoed in the North Sea shortly before the Armistice, and he was lost with the ship.
Cheetham's first experience of the Antarctic came as a sailor on 'Morning', one of the two relief ships for Robert Falcon Scott's British National Antarctic Expedition 1902-04 ('Discovery'). Several years later he returned as third officer and boatswain on Shackleton's British Antarctic Expedition 1907-09 ('Nimrod'). The boatswain was in charge of the ship's rigging, anchor, general equipment, and deck crew. Although Cheetham was not part of the shore party, he assisted some of the sub-Antarctic oceanographic and geographical research conducted on the voyage back to London under John King Davis.
Cheetham next served as the boatswain for 'Terra Nova' on Scott's last expedition British Antarctic Expedition 1910-13. By the time he was named third officer of 'Endurance' on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, he was one of the most experienced Antarctic hands in the world.
Upon his return from the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Cheetham learned that his 16-year-old son William had died while serving on SS Adriatic. Cheetham himself quickly enlisted in the merchant marine. He was serving as second officer on the minesweeper SS Prunelle when she was torpedoed in the North Sea shortly before the Armistice, and he was lost with the ship.
