Thomas Orde-Lees on Ernest Shackleton’s 1915 antarctic expedition on the Endurance.
Thomas Orde-Lees, Born 1877
antarctic explorer and parachutist
Thomas Orde-Lees was born at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen) during a holiday his parents were taking. His father also called Thomas, was known as something of an eccentric character who was Chief Constable of Northampton. Life was comfortable and the family had a Butler, Cook, Nurse and Housemaid. The young Thomas Orde-Lees was educated at Marlborough College and Sandhurst and joined the Royal Marines. When Ernest Shackleton was organizing the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1915 he needed a representative from the Royal Navy to get political support for the expedition. Orde-Lees as a skier and motor expert fitted the bill. When the Endurance was crushed by pack ice, Shackleton took the three lifeboats and led the men over the ice to open water where they used the boats to travel to Elephant Island. On return to England after the expedition, Orde-Lees served in the Balloon Service and saw action on the Western front during the First World War. With Shackleton's help, he joined the Royal Flying Corps (R.F.C.) and was a pioneering figure in parachute jumping. To demonstrate the feasibility of low level parachute drops, he jumped off the top of Tower Bridge into the River Thames, only about 160 or so feet below. This persuaded the authorities, and the to Royal Flying Corps formed a parachute division with Orde-Lees in command.
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