Edward W. Bingham

Surgeon Captain Edward W. Bingham (2 January 1901 – 1 September 1993) was a British Royal Navy officer and polar explorer who had the rare third clasp added to his Polar Medal.

Biography Edward (Ted) William Bingham was born on 2 January 1901 in Dungannon, County Tyrone, the son of the headmaster of Dungannon Royal School. In 1926 he graduated in medicine from Trinity College, Dublin. He was in the party that established a meteorological station on the ice cap. With surveyor Alfred Stephenson and geologist Lawrence Wager he took part in a three-month journey to map the ice cap border of the Schweizerland mountains and to attempt the ascent of Mont Forel, the highest point of the range.

Back from Greenland, he was appointed to carry out an hydrographic survey of the coastal area of the Labrador Peninsula on HMS Challenger for two years. He wintered at Nain and, whilst working by dog sled, increased his experience of huskies and dog team driving.

During World War II Bingham was a Surgeon Commander at the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth until July 1941. He then served on HMS Duke of York, as Principal Medical Officer,

Polar Medal 1932 (Arctic 1930–31), 2nd clasp 1939 (Antarctic 1935–37), 3rd clasp 1953 (Antarctic 1946). OBE 1947. Murchison Grant awarded by the Royal Geographical Society 1950.