Commanding a group of American soldiers during the Battle of the Hindenburg Line, Hubert Wilkins earned the Military Cross for his tactical initiative after their officers were lost. This action solidified his reputation as a combat-tested leader, marking a distinct departure from his early career as a cinematographer and pioneer in aerial photography.
Early Development and War Service
Born in 1888 at Mount Bryan East, South Australia, Wilkins was the youngest of thirteen children from a family of sheep farmers. His technical training began at the Adelaide School of Mines before he gained experience with a travelling cinema. Moving to Sydney and later England, he worked at Gaumont Studios. During World War I, he joined the Australian Flying Corps, later becoming an official war photographer. His front-line contributions led to his promotion to captain and the rare distinction of receiving a combat medal while documenting the conflict.
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Following his military service, Wilkins shifted his focus to polar exploration and scientific research. In 1927, he and pilot Carl Ben Eielson performed the first land-plane descent onto Arctic drift ice. The following year, they completed a trans-Arctic flight from Point Barrow to Spitsbergen. Wilkins later turned his attention to Antarctica, conducting the first successful airplane flight over the continent in 1928, exploring the eastern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Subsurface Arctic Exploration
In 1930, Wilkins orchestrated an ambitious expedition using a decommissioned submarine, the O-12, renamed the Nautilus. With financial backing from figures like Lincoln Ellsworth and William Randolph Hearst, the mission aimed to conduct meteorology studies beneath the polar ice cap. Although he failed to reach his goal of traversing under the North Pole, the attempt proved that submarines could navigate beneath Arctic ice, establishing technical precedents for future operations.
Scientific Contributions
Beyond his work as an explorer, Wilkins held a commitment to the sciences, particularly ornithology and geography. His geographical findings and meteorological data gathering remained central to his expeditions, often supported by his affiliation with institutions like Ohio State University.
Fast facts
- Born: 1888, Hallett
- Died: 1958, Framingham
- Military Rank: Colonel
- Key Award: Military Cross and Bar
- Notable Exploration: First trans-Arctic flight
- Academic Affiliation: Ohio State University
- Exploration Field: Land and Polar
- Professional Titles: Photographer, Ornithologist, Pilot
Questions readers ask
What military honors did Hubert Wilkins receive?
He was awarded the Military Cross and a bar to the Military Cross for his service during World War I.
Was Hubert Wilkins the first to fly over Antarctica?
Yes, in December 1928, he and Carl Ben Eielson conducted the first successful airplane flight over the Antarctic continent.
Achievements
- Military Cross
- Patron’s Medal
- Carl-Ritter-Medal
- Knight Bachelor
- Recorded as explorer, photographer and ornithologist
