Many in Malta have heard of Ernest Shackleton’s transantarctic expedition, but few know that one of the survivors is buried in Cottonera.

This is one of the curiosities that Ian Wilson, who has a keen interest in history, stumbled on in his research on unsung heroes having Anglo-Maltese affiliation. 

Quite familiar with the details of the expedition, he knew that one of the men who took part was buried in a Royal Navy Commonwealth Cemetery, so when he moved to Fgura from the UK, Mr Wilson went to look for the grave at the Capuchins’ naval cemetery in Kalkara.

There he found a tombstone saying that Harry Ernest Wild, who had taken part in the imperial transantarctic expedition, had died of typhoid at Bighi Hospital on March 10, 1918, aged 39.

Mr Wild formed part of the Ross Sea party, a component of Sir Ernest’s expedition that took place a century ago and was documented in several films.

The biographical film Endurance: the story of Ernest Shackleton, currently in production, is expected to be released later this year on the centennial anniversary of the sinking of the Endurance, one of the two ships used for the expedition. 

Although it failed to accomplish its objective, the expedition is recognised as an epic feat of endurance, and 10 members of Mr Wild’s team were stranded ashore at Cape Evans in 1915 when their ship, the Aurora, was blown out to sea.

“Wild was one of the seven that survived, and they were rescued by Shackleton in 1917, only to die a year later in Malta.  

“He was awarded the Albert Medal for Bravery for the help he had given to his stricken colleagues in Antarctica,” Mr Wilson said.

A glassmaker by profession, Mr Wilson visited Malta several times as a child, as his father served with the Royal Navy.