Ernest Edward Mills Joyce was born in Bognor, England in 1875. He entered the Royal Navy in 1891, serving with the Royal Naval Brigade in the South African War. While in South Africa, he joined the British National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904 (leader Robert Falcon Scott), as able seaman on Discovery . He took part in sledging activities and on return from the expedition, was rated petty officer.
Joyce left the Navy to join the British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton) and was placed in charge of dogs, sledges and general stores, as well as the zoological collection. From September 1908 onwards, he took part in the sledging programme to lay depots southward for the party attempting to reach the South Pole.
After the expedition, Joyce helped to select and ship dogs to Tasmania for the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914 (leader Douglas Mawson). While working for the Sydney Harbour Trust in Australia, he was enlisted for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition [Ross Sea Party], 1914-1917, organized by Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton to meet the Weddell Sea Party. Joyce became second-in-command of the Ross Sea shore party with the responsibility of laying depots across the Ross Ice Shelf towards the Beardmore Glacier, providing all that was needed for Shackleton and the trans-polar party. Despite a lack of food and equipment, the party successfully completed this task, although their efforts cost three lives. Joyce was awarded the Albert Medal for his bravery during the expedition. He died on 2 May 1940.
Published work The South Polar trail ...the log of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition by Ernest Edward Mills Joyce, Duckworth London (1929) SPRI Library Shelf (7)91(08)[1914-1917 Shackleton]
From the guide to the Ernest Joyce collection, 1907-1930, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)
