Lawrence E.G. Oates
| Lawrence Oates | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
17 March 1880 Putney, London, United Kingdom |
| Died | 17 March 1912 (aged 32) Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica |
| Nationality | British |
| Other names | Titus Oates |
| Occupation | Cavalry officer, explorer |
Captain Lawrence Edward Grace "Titus" Oates (17 March 1880 – 17 March 1912) was an English army officer, and later an Antarctic explorer, who died during the Terra Nova Expedition. Oates, afflicted with gangrene and frostbite, walked from his tent into a blizzard. His death is seen as an act of self-sacrifice when, aware that his ill health was compromising his three companions' chances of survival, he chose certain death.
Oates was born in Putney, London, England in 1880, the son of William and Caroline Oates. His family was wealthy, having had land at Gestingthorpe, Essex, for centuries. His father moved the family there when his children were small after succeeding to the Manor of Over Hall, Gestingthorpe. He had one sister, a year older than himself, named Lillian, who married the Irish baritone and actor Frederick Ranalow. An uncle was the naturalist and African explorer Frank Oates.
Oates lived in Putney from 1885–91, from the ages of 5 to 11 at 263 Upper Richmond Road. He was one of the first pupils to attend the prep Willington School around the corner in Colinette Road. He was further educated at Eton College, which he left after less than two years owing to ill health. He then attended an army "crammer", South Lynn School, Eastbourne. His father died of typhoid fever in Madeira in 1896 when Oates was aged 16.
In 1898, Oates was commissioned into the 3rd (Militia) Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment. He saw military service during the Second Boer War as a junior officer in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons, having been transferred to that cavalry regiment as a second lieutenant in May 1900. He took part in operations in the Transvaal, the Orange River Colony, and Cape Colony. In March 1901, he suffered a gunshot wound to his left thigh which shattered his leg and, when it healed, left it an inch shorter than his right leg. In that skirmish he was twice called upon to surrender, and replied, "We came to fight, not to surrender." He was recommended for the Victoria Cross for his actions and was brought to public attention.
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