Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Harry McNish

Harry McNish
This nomination predates the introduction in April 2014 of article-specific subpages for nominations and has been created from the edit history of Today's featured article/requests. 
 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/September 11, 2013 by BencherliteTalk 10:38, 3 September 2013 (UTC)



Harry McNish (1874–1930) was the carpenter on Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914 to 1917. He was responsible for much of the work that ensured the crew's survival after their ship, the Endurance, was destroyed when it became trapped in pack ice in the Weddell Sea. He modified the small boat, James Caird, that allowed Shackleton and five men (including McNish) to make a voyage of hundreds of miles to fetch help for the rest of the crew. He briefly refused to follow orders on the crew's long trek pulling the boats across the pack ice, and, despite his efforts during the journey, was one of only four of the crew not to receive the Polar Medal. After the expedition he returned to work in the Merchant Navy and eventually emigrated to New Zealand, where he worked on the docks in Wellington until ill-health forced his retirement. He died destitute in the Ohiro Benevolent Home in Wellington.

2 points for 2007 FA, one for "birthday" --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:54, 23 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I think the photo is rather blurred. Perhaps this one might be better? Simply south...... fighting ovens for just 7 years 21:24, 23 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I'd rather go with no photo than either of them... Ed [talk] [majestic titan] 18:57, 24 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I know that the photo is blurred but even without reading it provides a bit of history, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 20:37, 24 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Support. Historical and educational. &mdash; Cirt (talk) 16:13, 5 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Support. fascinating story - I prefer the blurred photo of the man - better than the grave and better than none. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 14:10, 8 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Support and with the photo of the person per Casliber.  Montanabw (talk) 22:16, 20 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Support. Ceoil (talk) 09:47, 24 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Support; prefer the life photo to the grave. I can see if I can get hold of a sharper scan, but I suspect that's about as good as we'll get. Andrew Gray (talk) 22:40, 26 August 2013 (UTC)
 * I had a dig around today and couldn't find a better-quality copy to scan. It looks like a relatively muddy original. Andrew Gray (talk) 17:20, 27 August 2013 (UTC)


 * Support: Interesting piece - SchroCat (talk) 08:50, 28 August 2013 (UTC)
 * Support: An awkward, unsympathetic character, but undoubtedly a hero, and poorly treated by Shackleton in the aftermath of his exploits. The photo, incidentally, is the only published one of McNish; it is scanned from a group photograph of the Endurance crew. Nothing could be more appropriate. Brianboulton (talk) 21:27, 30 August 2013 (UTC)