James Fitzjames Identified from Franklin Expedition

Researchers have used DNA analysis to identify the remains of James Fitzjames, a senior officer on the ill-fated 1845 Franklin expedition, marking him as the second crew member identified. Fitzjames and his fellow crew members were attempting to navigate the Northwest Passage when their ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, became ice-bound near King William Island. The expedition ended in disaster, with all 129 men perishing due to starvation, scurvy, and exposure. Recent findings, confirmed through a match with a living descendant, reveal that Fitzjames' remains bear cut marks indicative of cannibalism, suggesting that rank did not protect officers from desperate survival measures. This corroborates historical Inuit accounts and earlier findings of similar marks on other crew members' bones. The discovery provides deeper insight into the tragic final days of the Franklin expedition.