Alexander Macklin
| Alexander Macklin | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1889 India 
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| Died | 21 March 1967 Aberdeen, Scotland 
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| Occupation | Doctor, Explorer |
| Spouse(s) | Jean |
Colonel Alexander Hepburne Macklin OBE MC TD (1889 – 21 March 1967) was a British doctor who served as one of the two surgeons on Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917. In 1921-22 he joined Shackleton on his last expedition on the Quest.
Alexander Macklin was born in 1889 in India, where his father was a doctor. When the family returned to England Dr Macklin set up practice in the Scilly Isles, where young Macklin became an enthusiastic and proficient boat handler. He went to Plymouth College and then to the University of London. After working for a short time as a deckhand, he continued his education at the Victoria University of Manchester, where he qualified as a doctor.
Soon after qualifying he applied to join Shackleton's expedition and was accepted. As well as his surgeon's duties he was put in charge of the ship's dogs and was also assigned a team of sledge dogs to drive. The Endurance became trapped in the ice and was later crushed, forcing Shackleton to lead his men across the ice to open water where they travelled by boat to Elephant Island. After the ship became trapped in the ice, Macklin's dog team was put to work. He brought back several seals that had been shot for food, and once the men began the long trek across the ice, he and the other dog teams were sent back to Ocean Camp (the first camp established near the ship) to fetch supplies. Eventually all the dogs had to be shot, but Macklin's team was the last to be killed.
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