Sledge Flagstaff

Sledge flagstaff consisting of a long wooden pole with a truck at the top and an iron point sheathing the pole at the bottom. The wooden truck was originally gilt and lettered in black round the edge 'DISCOVERY'. A screw eye is inserted in the pole immediately below the truck.

The staff was used on the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904 (known as the 'Discovery Expedition'). A number of images from the expedition show flagstaffs mounted on the back of the sledges to display the sledge flags (see for example ALB0346). They are sometimes known as 'markers'.

Object details

ID: AAA4133
Collection: Polar Equipment and Relics
Type: Sledge Flagstaff
Materials: Wood; Iron
Display location: Not on display
Events: Antarctic Exploration: British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901-1904
Vessels: Discovery (1901)
Date made: 1901
People: Cambridge Scouts, Cambridge Scouts11th/9th; Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 1840 mm x 80 mm