Orde-Lees Journal...
Wild is our second in command and quite the most popular man (save our leader) amongst us. He has rare tact and the happy knack of saying nothing and yet getting people to do things just as he requires them. He acts as Sir Ernest's lieutenant and if he has any orders to give us he gives them in the nicest way, especially if it is instructions to carry out some particularly nasty work such as "trimming" coal in the bunkers or scrubbing the floor.
His competence is his outstanding feature; whatever there is to be done he knows just how to do it and yet he never appears to be dogmatic about it. His polar experience is unrivaled. He was with Scott's first expedition in the Discovery 1901-4, of which, of course, Sir Ernest was also a member. He took part in Sir Ernest's own expedition 1907 and was one of the three who accompanied Sir Ernest to within 100 miles of the South Pole and finally he was in command of the western base party on Sir Douglas Mawson's recent Australasian expedition to Adelie Land.
He is a direct descendent of Captain Cook, the great circumpolar navigator.
Forty years of age, he is rather small of stature, but as wiry and tough as they make 'em.
Eyes blue and very alert, hair rather thin on top. He has a fine bass voice, has been in the merchant service and in the Royal Navy, in which latter he had just passed for warrant officer when he left for the Discovery expedition.