Engineer-Lieutenant Reginald Skelton was First Engineer on the Discovery expedition. He was a skilful and ambitious naval engineer who had little time for laziness or incompetence. He supervised the construction of the Discovery in Dundee and while at sea worked wonders in maintaining it – and even made time to take on the role of chief photographer for the expedition, impressing Edward Wilson, the Expedition’s zoologist and artist, with his skill and flair.

William concludes what, by his standards, was a long letter by re-assuring him that he was not forgotten and that “Capt Scott, Dr Wilson & all the rest wished to be remembered to you sir,” (William always retained an element of formality in his letters to Lieutenant Skelton beginning them “Dear Sir” and concluding “yours faithfully” or even “yours respectfully”).

His letters to Skelton tended to focus on technical aspects of the expedition, especially the role of the motorsledges (he calls them motors or just sledges) but he was also happy to provide a frank update on the latest issues. After explaining how busy they had been repairing the ship’s engine (we have had to have the crank shaft out & bedded and what a scrap lot the brasses were) he moved on quickly to report that Scott had sacked Lieutenant Riley, the ship’s Chief Engineer. “Capt Scott did not think him fit and well enough to go down south that was the reason given”. Skelton would have been particularly interested to hear that the ship sailed from New Zealand without a commissioned officer in charge in the engine room! William also reported on the sacking of Thomas Feather, who had served as Boatswain on the Discovery, over what was explained as a falling out with Lieutenant Renwick, adding “but really the truth is too much drink”.

The re-loading of the ship at Lyttelton for its journey to the south was a difficult and tiring operation (“we did not get any help from the war ships so we have had it pretty stiff”) but William was able to report that two of the three “motors” were safely on board as well as the petrol (in cans weighing a total of two-and-a-half tons, according to Scott’s diary). The third machine, in a crate sixteen feet long, was eventually stored at the stern of the ship in the space previously occupied by a winch). Nothing had yet been announced about the role of the motorsledges but William was anticipating that he, Bernard Day (engineer in charge of motor transport) and Edward Nelson would be leaving on the first motorsledge journey soon after they arrived in the Antarctic. They arrived on January 4th, 1911. Two motor sledges were unloaded immediately and used effectively to help with the transporting of supplies. The third was hoisted off the ship on the 8th but broke through the ice and was lost.

Depots were laid in preparation for the planned attempt on the Pole the following Spring. The Terra Nova eventually left in February and the men settled in to their winter work.