Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Pair: Seaman F. W. Kemp, Royal Naval Reserve, who served as Fireman aboard the relief ship Morning in Scott’s First Antarctic Expedition

Polar Medal 1904, E.VII.R., bronze, no clasp (F. Kemp “Morning” 1902-4); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (C.4003 F. W. Kemp, Sean. 1 Cl, R.N.R.) the first a little polished, otherwise very fine (2) £2500-3000

Frederick Wiliam Kemp was born at Yarmouth in 1864. He was an Able Seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve serving aboard the Wilkson Line Montebello under Captain G. Pepper before joining the Morning on 7 July 1902, at Poplar as Fireman. The Morning was sent out with supplies for the Discovery during the first summer of the Expedition, but due to adverse weather conditions these had to be sledged across the ice to Scott’s team. The Morning made a second voyage to the Discovery in January 1904, when it was feared that the latter vessel would be trapped in the ice, but fortunately this was not the case and she was able to make her own way back to New Zealand. Kemp was duly discharged from Morning at Plymouth on 18 October 1904, upon her return to England.