Quintin Riley
Quintin Theodore Petroc Molesworth Riley (27 October 1905 – 25 December 1980) was a British Arctic explorer who was awarded the Polar Medal.
Biography
Quintin Riley was born in 1905 in Little Petherick, Cornwall, the youngest son of the eminent Anglo-Catholic layman, Athelstan Riley. He was educated at Lancing College, where he met Gino Watkins (1907–1932). He continued his education at Pembroke College, Cambridge, where he graduated in 1927.[1]
In 1930–31 Riley joined the British Arctic Air Route Expedition as a meteorologist. This expedition consisted in a team of fourteen men led by Watkins with the mission to survey and monitor weather conditions in the little explored east coast of Greenland.[2] Barely a year later Riley returned to Greenland with the smaller 1932-33 East Greenland Expedition, led by Watkins as well. He was one of the only three remaining team members following Watkin's death[3] at Tuttilik Fjord.[4]
Riley next joined the 1934-1937 British Graham Land Expedition led by his former Greenland teammate John Rymill. In 1938 Riley joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and became active in Norway and Iceland – among other places – during World War II. Towards the end of WW2, Riley was appointed Commanding Officer of No. 30 Commando – the brainchild of Commander Ian Fleming.[5]
Riley died in a road accident on Christmas Day 1980 while he was living in retirement in Essex.[6]
Honours
The Riley Glacier in Palmer Land, Antarctica, was named after him.
Further reading
- Riley, Jonathan P. (1989). From pole to pole, the life of Quentin Riley 1905-1980. Bluntisham: Bluntisham Books.
- Ridgway, John (1974). Gino Watkins. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-273136-4.
- Courtauld, Simon, The Watkins Boys, London, Michael Russell, 2010. ISBN 9780859553186.
- Scott, J.M., The Land That God Gave Cain, London, Chatto and Windus, 1933.
See also
References
- ^ Quintin Riley obituary - Cambridge Journals
- ^ Glasby, Geoff. "Geological Society – Skaergaard, Everest and more..." www.geolsoc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
- ^ East Greenland Expedition (Pan Am) 1932 -33
- ^ "Mr Watkins' Expedition to East Greenland, 1932–33". Polar Record. 1 (5). Cambridge University Press: 28–30. 1933. doi:10.1017/S0032247400030138. S2CID 251051734. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ Trewhela, Lee (23 February 2020). "Intrepid polar explorer from Cornwall who inspired James Bond". CornwallLive. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
- ^ Quintin Theodore Petroc Molesworth Riley; Biographical notes
External links
- Essex Chronicle - Quintin relished adventuring but he found 'normal' home life difficult
- Archives - Riley, British Arctic Air Route Expedition
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