Francis Howard Bickerton

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Francis Howard Bickerton (1889–1954) was born in Oxford, England, and served as mechanical engineer on Sir Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition between 1911–1914.

Bickerton was responsible for converting a smashed Vickers D-Type monoplane for use as an 'air-tractor sledge' in the Antarctic. He also shared responsibility for the expedition's pioneering use of wireless telegraphy and led the three-man Western Sledging Expedition which, between December 1912 and January 1913, explored 160 miles of uncharted territory and discovered the first Antarctic meteorite — which lead to Antarctica being recognised as the world's richest meteorite field. For his services, Bickerton was awarded the prestigious King's Polar Medal, and Cape Bickerton (6620S, 13656E, five miles ENE of Gravenoire Rock) was named in his honour. Bickerton was also recruited by Sir Ernest Shackleton for the Endurance expedition of 1914–1917 and served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. Post-war he joined the colony of British war veterans established in Newfoundland by Captain Victor Campbell of Scott's Terra Nova expedition and explored in Central America and Africa. He died in Borth, Ceredigion, in 1954.