Commander Alexander Smith RN, served his country with fearless resolution for 17 years on the quarterdeck, encountering many adventures on the high seas – an intrepid voyager in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Under the command of Captain James Clark Ross, he became a heroic polar explorer in the north Atlantic and was chosen for the epic 1839-1843 British Antarctic Expedition aboard the Erebus in the pivotal rank of First Mate.