George Buckley (explorer)

George Alexander Maclean Buckley was born on 25 October 1866 at his parents' homestead, Casteron, in the Christchurch suburb Heathcote Valley.

[12] Buckley managed to join the expedition, securing passage aboard merely two hours prior through a personal appeal to Shackleton to be transported as far as the pack ice.

Rushing to gather his effects in time, he boarded the Nimrod shortly before it departed Lyttelton for Antarctica on 1 January 1908.

[11][13] To conserve its fuel for exploring the Antarctic, Nimrod was towed south by the Koonya as far as the pack ice, which it reached on 14 January.

[15] On the outbreak of the First World War, Buckley rejoined his previous British Army unit, the Hampshire Regiment, being posted to its 12th Battalion.

In November 1916, Buckley was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order for conspicuous gallantry during the Battle of Guillemont.

He has on many previous occasions done very fine work.In the 1919 King's Birthday Honours, Buckley was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for valuable services rendered in connection with the war.

He regularly sailed in the seas around Scandinavian Europe and also undertook extensive motor car journeys as far as the Balkan countries.