AQ01 – Discovery II

Stitchers: Beatrice Cowan, Fionna Picken, Leona Thomas, Elizabeth Hill, Steve ShillitoEdinburgh & Paisley 

Discovery II was the first ship built specifically for scientific research, constructed by Ferguson Brothers of Port Glasgow in 1929. A month later she left London for the Antarctic with fifty-three marine officers, scientists and crew. By May 1939 she had circumnavigated the Antarctic continent four times and conducted much scientific research aimed primarily at understanding whale migrations. In December and January 1935/6, Discovery II reached the world’s southernmost point of open ocean, rescuing the explorer Lincoln Ellsworth and his companion Hollick Kenyon. She went south again between 1950 and 1952, before moving to oceanographic work in the North Atlantic. Discovery II was de-commissioned in 1962.

AQ01 RRS Discovery II
B’ e Discovery II a’ chiad shoitheach a chaidh a thogail gu sònraichte airson rannsachadh saidheansail, air a cur ri chèile leis na Bràithrean MacFhearghais ann am Port Ghlaschu ann an 1929. Mìos às dèidh sin, dh’fhàg i Lunnainn airson an Antartaig le leth-cheud ’s a trì oifigear mara, luchd-saidheans agus criutha. Sa Chèiteain 1939, bha i air seòladh timcheall mòr-thìr an Antartaig ceithir tursan agus air mòran rannsachaidh saidheansail a choileanadh air amas sa chiad àite air imrichean mhucan-mara a thuigsinn. San Dùbhlachd agus san Fhaoilleach 1935/6, ràinig an Discovery II a’ phuing as fhaide deas de chuan fosgailte san t-saoghal, a’ sàbhaladh an rannsachair Lincoln Ellsworth agus a chompanach Hollick Kenyon. Chaidh i gu deas a-rithist eadar 1950 agus 1952, mus do ghluais i gu obair air saidheans chuantan ann an ceann a tuath a’ Chuain Shiair. Chaidh an Discovery II a dhi-choimiseanadh ann an 1962.