To mark the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton's departure from Plymouth on the quest to cross Antarctica, an event much similar to the original one was held in Plymouth. The launch of the historic ship, Endurance, was re-created.

Sir Ernest Shackleton is one of the most famous and widely known British research explorers. He along with his crew boarded the ship Endurance at Millbay Docks on August 8, 1914 with an aim to become the first team to cross the continent from sea to sea through the South Pole. The same could not be achieved and this expedition became one of the greatest rescue operations in history.

Endurance was leaving Plymouth and sailing the Atlantic in early 1915. During the journey, the ship got trapped in the Antarctic ice and ten months later it sank. By the time it sank, Shackleton's crew had already abandoned the ship to live on the floating ice.

Once the ship sank, Shackleton and his crew set off in three small boats and reached the Elephant Island. After the crew reached the island, Shackleton along with five of his crew members went to find help. All these six people spent 16 days crossing 800 miles of ocean to reach South Georgia, and then they trekked across the mountainous island to a whaling station to get help.

The rest of the crew on the elephant island was rescued in August 1916. All the members of the expedition survived. To mark the 100 years of this great journey by all these brave men, 100 events over the next two years will be conducted. Climax of all these events will be a national service of thanksgiving in 2016 at Westminster Abbey.

The first event of the departure of Endurance ship was recreated at Millbay Docks by an historic ship supplied by Cornish company Square Sail. All the Shackleton 100 Plymouth events are being coordinated by the Devon and Cornwall Polar Society.

The chairman of the society is Paul Davies. He said, "Several of the men had strong links to Plymouth and it is right that the city is commemorating its part in this famous expedition. People have travelled from Ireland, the USA, and Australia and across the UK because Shackleton was a hero and an inspirational leader".