The attempt to reach the pole had been carefully planned by Captain Scott. The strategy was to use three teams to lay depots of provisions, from Corner Camp to close to the South Pole, to be used on the return journey. William’s party, with three motorsledges, left first on October 24^th 1911. With him were engineer Day, Lieutenant Evans and steward Hooper. On October 31^st a team consisting of Atkinson, Keohane, Wright and Seaman Evans set off using ponies to pull the sledges. Finally, the dog-hauled sledges, with Scott, Wilson, Oates and Apsley Cherry- Garrard.

One by one the motor sledges failed. They reached Corner Camp but then William’s sledge gave out. Now they had to haul by hand.

On November 8^th they arrived at One Ton Depot and selected what was needed to be taken on. They were hauling 200 lbs per man. On November 15^th they arrived at the pre-arranged gathering point and camped.

In the meantime the weather had proved worse than anticipated and the ponies had suffered most. The dog teams soon caught up with them but William’s group still waited six days for the others to arrive. Day and Hooper returned to base on November 24th. The ponies now either died or were shot to provide food for the dogs. They eventually reached the Beardmore Glacier.

On December 11^th they laid the Lower Glacier Depot. Meres and Dimitri returned to base with the dogs. The remaining men man-hauled until December 20^th when Atkinson, Silas, Keohane and Cherry-Garrard were sent back by Scott. William now joined up with Crean, Bowers and Lieutenant Evans while Scott continued with Wilson, Oates and Seaman Evans. They made good progress, although William celebrated Christmas Day, and his birthday, by falling down a crevasse.

On January 4^th 1912 Scott sent back a final party consisting of Lieutenant Evans, Tom Crean and William, but chose to add a fifth person, Bowers, to his own group. It was a moving farewell. “Poor old Crean wept and even Lashly was affected,” wrote Scott. William set off back for a remarkable journey that was to win him and Tom Crean the Albert Medal. On the 16^th, Scott’s party came across the tracks made by Amundsen. The next day they camped at the Pole, five weeks after Amundsen’s team had come and gone.

Next: The Last Support Group