Oates, Lawrence Edward Grace (1880-1912), was a British army officer and a member of the British expedition to Antarctica led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott. He joined the expedition in 1910 and in 1912 was a member of the sledding party that reached the South Pole. On the return journey, he was frostbitten and had difficulty in keeping up with the others. In an act of heroic self-sacrifice, Oates walked to his death in a raging blizzard. As he left the tent, he said: “I am going outside; I may be some time.”
Oates was born in London. He joined the army and served in South Africa, Egypt, and India.
