Levick, G. Murray (George Murray), 1876-

George Murray Levick was born in 1877. He studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, and on qualifying in 1902 joined the Royal Navy, where he became a specialist in physical and recreational training.

He was appointed as Surgeon on the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 (leader Robert Falcon Scott). He served with the Northern Party under Victor Campbell, spending the first year at Cape Adare and the second year exploring and sledging along the Victoria Land coast. The party wintered for seven months in a snow cave on Inexpressible Island without adequate supplies before returning safely to the base at Cape Evans. While at Cape Adare, he studied the behaviour and breeding biology of Adelie penguins, which became the material for a scientific report and popular book on their natural history.

Levick remained in the navy throughout the First World War, and was promoted to Fleet Surgeon. For twenty years between the two wars, Levick was at the Ministry of Pensions Hospital in Shepherds Bush, London, concerned particularly with physiotherapy and rehabilitation medicine.

In 1932 he founded and developed the Public Schools Exploring Society, which gave schoolboys opportunities to experience camping in the wilds of Scandinavia and Canada. He rejoined the Navy in the Second World War, much of his time being given to training Commandos for survival in extreme conditions. He died on 30 May 1956.

Published work, Antarctic penguins, a study of their social habits George Murray Levick, William Heinemann, London (1914) SPRI Library Shelf 598.45

From the guide to the George Levick collection, 1910-1936, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)