Vote for our Object of the Year!

Each year the Hertfordshire Association of Museums has a competition, to allow the public to vote for their favourite entry from the range of objects from the collections of the various museums in the county.

This year, ours is the Shackleton Hussey Shield, part of our collection of Scouting memorabilia.

The Shield is an important memento of a strong supporter of Scouting in Three Rivers after WW2. It tells of both the importance and variety of Scouting adventure, and of an understated but very notable man.

Originally an anthropologist, the young Leonard Hussey was on a ‘dig’ in Africa when he applied to join Shackleton on the Endurance voyage to the South Pole in 1914. Small and cheerful, he went as the meteorologist, but his banjo was an important contribution to morale on board.

Returning after the loss of Endurance, he served in WW1 in France as well as with Shackleton in Russia.

Qualified as a doctor after WW1, he went again to the Antarctic as medical officer with Shackleton’s last expedition in 1921-22. He then practised in London until joining the RAF in 1940, served throughout the war as a medical officer, and then came to Chorleywood as the local GP.

He was a very strong supporter of the Scouts, and personally awarded this ‘adventurous training’ trophy, reflecting the spirit of ‘adventure’ associated with Shackleton’s expeditions and of Sir Ernest himself. Competed for each year for over forty years, it was well used, and was won by scout troops, especially Explorer Scouts, all across the area – the tallies recording the winners cover both back and front, as you can see in our photos.

Our pictures show him (a diminutive figure) presenting the Shield on a date unknown, and both the front and the back of the Shield itself.

You can vote for our Object of the Year by following this link - you may need to open it in a new window!