In 1845, two British Royal Navy exploration ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, set out on an expedition to discover a new trade route known as the Northwest Passage, located between Greenland and Canada. The journey ended in a great tragedy, with all 130 crew members disappearing without a trace. The mystery of the Northwest Passage disaster began to unravel centuries later.
With the exploration of new continents, the search for new stops began. The existence of the Northwest Passage, which could expedite intense trade with China once the ice was crossed, was heavily relied upon. Captain William Scoresby Jr. reported in 1817 that the Arctic passage was relatively ice-free in the summer. The British believed that the passage, located between Greenland and Canada, would provide a shorter route for ships traveling from Asia, leading to increased trade. Therefore, it was crucial for the British to be the first to discover the Northwest Passage, which they referred to as the Northwest Passege.
HMS Terror, built in 1813, had been in service with the British Royal Navy until 1836. By 1836, it had been prepared for the planned polar expedition after various modifications were made, and state-of-the-art equipment and clothing were installed. Additionally, between 1839 and 1843, Captain James Clark Ross, who commanded both ships, participated in an exploration expedition to Antarctica. However, James Clark Ross did not join the newly planned Northwest Passage expedition due to his wife's objections, prompting British authorities to search for new captains. Both ships had experience in polar regions and ice. The British approached the Northwest Passage mission with great care and made extensive preparations. The hulls of both ships were reinforced to break the ice easily and were specially coated, particularly in the bow section. Both ships were equipped with state-of-the-art navigation devices, scientific instruments, and a vast library. The ship's library contained 3000 books, and the heating systems on the ships were top-notch. Additionally, Terror had a monkey named Jacko on board.
Since the duration of the expedition was uncertain, the ships were stocked with three years' worth of food and coal as fuel. In addition to canned food prepared for the journey, it would later become one of the factors leading to the crew's demise, as it was prepared quickly and carelessly by the manufacturer.
The captain of HMS Erebus, Captain John Franklin, had previously participated in a Canadian expedition. John Franklin, born in 1786 in Lincolnshire, had been an experienced seafarer since the age of 14. He had also been present in the Battle of Trafalgar against Napoleon. Later, in 1818 and subsequently in searches for the Northwest Passage in the vicinity of Canada, he participated in expeditions. In other words, he was experienced with the region. He even found himself stranded in the area under harsh conditions and was rescued by the local inhabitants. When he returned to England in 1821, he was welcomed as a hero and given the nickname "the man who ate his boots."
Another captain, Francis Crozier, who was James Clark Ross's closest friend and had also commanded Terror during the Antarctic expedition, was appointed captain of HMS Terror. Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier had also commanded Terror during the Antarctic expedition. Therefore, he was not a stranger to the ship. James Fitzjames was also assigned as another officer participating in the expedition.
All preparations were completed, and the two state-of-the-art ships set off on May 19, 1845, and reached Greenland without any problems. Captain John Franklin, being a highly disciplined man, was well aware of the challenges of this demanding mission. Taking the expedition very seriously, Franklin, upon finding 5 personnel who did not comply with orders and regulations, landed them in Disko Bay in Greenland and sent them back to England.
In July 1945, the two ships were spotted by Welsh whalers in Baffin Bay, and this was the last known sighting of the crews of these two ships by Europeans. From this point on, no news was ever received from the two ships and their crews. Although different clues were discovered during search and rescue missions, neither the ships nor the missing crew were found. The fate that befell them could not be explained.
In the first search and rescue mission, it was determined that three crew members had died, and their bodies were buried on Beechey Island (August 27, 1850). This marked the first concrete step in the Franklin Expedition tragedy. It was found that the deceased had died of tuberculosis. Captains, in the autumn of 1846 at Peel Passage, believed that the two ships, which were stuck in the ice, would be freed once the ice melted in the summer and they would continue their journey. However, this never happened.
In 1859, during an exploration led by Captain Francis Leopold McClintock, Lieutenant Hobson found two more bodies along with bones located south of William Island. More importantly, notes from Fitzjames and Crozier about the progress of the expedition were found. In other words, in 1859, the most important evidence considered as a time capsule of the ship was reached. In this capsule, it was written that everything was going well in May 1847 and that they were expecting the ice to melt. However, the second note dated 1848 stated that the ship had never managed to break free from the ice it was stuck in, and that Captain Sir John Franklin had died on June 11, 1847.
In 1980, Canadian anthropologist Owen Beattie conducted tests on the three bodies found on Beechey Island and the bones previously found on King William Island, determining that the bones and bodies contained high levels of lead. This led to the conclusion that the crew was poisoned by the lead found in the canned food containers and leaking from the ship's heating system.
During the rescue missions, it was observed that the bodies of the Terror crew, which were reached, remained preserved for a long time, almost like mummies.
In 1854, researcher John Rae of the Hudson's Bay Company communicated with the local Inuit people (Eskimos) and obtained extensive details about the Franklin Expedition. Based on this information, 30 more bodies were found. Inuit legends provided detailed information about the incident.
According to the Inuit, in the summer of 1850, Crozier collected provisions from the ship and set off to find help. The Inuit saw white men, all of whom were sick, with wounds on their faces due to illness. The Inuit also reported encountering about 30 white men in 1850, all of whom were sick and on the brink of starvation. In the winter of 1850, an Inuit stated that he entered one of the ships, thinking it was empty, and encountered a group of crew members who were dying inside. He later left the ship. In the summer of 1851, another Inuit stated that he encountered four white men, taught them how to hunt, and spent the winter with them. In the spring, these four crew members left the Eskimo and headed south. Nothing was heard from these four individuals afterwards. One of the four men gave a sword to the Inuit as a gesture of thanks, and this sword belonged to Fitzjames.
After the Franklin expedition, which came to an end in 1850, HMS Erebus
was found 169 years later in 2014, while HMS Terror was only discovered in 2016, stuck in the ice on the south (east) side of King William Island, 30 meters below sea level. The wreckage of the two lost ships in Canada was gifted to Canada by Britain and declared a maritime heritage by Canadian authorities.
The Franklin Expedition tragedy is still not fully understood. Historians and researchers have not been able to determine why Captain Franklin died, why the ships were abandoned, why Crozier set off in the opposite direction to gather supplies from a ship that sank in 1825 instead of seeking help, and how long the crew managed to survive in total. The true story remains elusive.
Based on witness statements and examinations, it is believed that the crew struggled with the harsh natural conditions and desperation for six years. Most of them rotted alive due to scurvy (a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency), and it is assumed that they suffered great pain due to lead poisoning. It is also suggested that towards the end, the survivors, driven by illnesses, fought among themselves, and instances of cannibalism due to starvation were likely, based on the discovery of mass graves and traces of bones.
Today, especially due to global warming, ice breakups in the Arctic have made the Northwest Passage, which could potentially serve as a trade route for ships, even more accessible, especially during the summer months. This has led to increasing discussions and claims about the rights to the Northwest Passage, particularly among Russia, Canada, the US, and Europe.
The books, combs, pocket watches, meal containers, and notes of Crozier and Fitzjames found on board HMS Terror and HMS Erebus are stored at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. Since 2008, the UK has allocated a special budget for the discovery of the two lost ships in Canada. After the lost ships were found, Queen Elizabeth II sent a congratulatory message to the Governor General of Canada.
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