Early Life and Career
Thomas Crean (generally known as Tom Crean) was born 20 July 1877, in the farming area of Gurtuchrane near the town of Annascaul in County Kerry, to Patrick Crean and Catherine Courtney. One of ten children, he attended the local Brackluin Roman Catholic school, leaving at the age of 12 to lend much-needed help on the family farm. At the age of 15, Crean enlisted in the Royal Navy at the naval station in nearby Minard Inlet, possibly after an argument with his father. His enlistment as a boy second class is recorded in Royal Navy records on 10 July 1893, 10 days before his 16th birthday; lacking his parents' consent, he probably had to lie about his age to get in.
Crean's initial naval apprenticeship was aboard the training ship Impregnable at Devonport. In November 1894 he was transferred to Devastation. By his 18th birthday in 1895 Crean was serving in Royal Arthur, and rated ordinary seaman. Less than a year later he was in Wild Swan as an able seaman, and later joined the Navy's torpedo school ship, Defiance. By 1899, Crean had advanced to the rate of petty officer, second class and was serving in Vivid.
In February 1900 Crean was posted to the torpedo vessel Ringarooma, which was part of the Royal Navy's New Zealand Squadron based in the South Island. On 18 December 1901 he was disrated from petty officer to able seaman for an unspecified misdemeanour. In December 1901 the Ringarooma was ordered to assist Robert Falcon Scott's ship Discovery when it was docked at Lyttelton Harbour before embarking on the British National Antarctic Expedition to Antarctica. When an able seaman of Scott's ship deserted after striking a petty officer a replacement was required; Crean volunteered, and was accepted.
Read more about this topic: Tom Crean (explorer)
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