they exercised full control over the mission. Stenhouse still considered that he was the Auroras commander and assumed that he would lead the relief expedition when the ship was ready to sail, but the representatives of the governments decided that he was too inexperienced. He was also Shackleton's man, and they were adamant that neither Shackleton, who had reappeared in the Falkland Islands after his own extended adventure and escape, nor his proxy, should lead the relief, and appointed their own choice, Captain John King Davis. The politics of the situation were largely kept from Stenhouse, who was shocked to learn of King's appointment on 4 October, and initially refused to recognise its validity. However, when Shackleton, who had arrived in New Zealand on 12 December, grudgingly concurred with King's appointment, Stenhouse had no choice but to step down. He then returned to England. Award In 1920 King George V appointed Joseph Stenhouse an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), for his service aboard Aurora. War hero On his return to England Stenhouse reported for duty with the Royal Navy and was posted as Gunnery Officer to mystery Q-ship PQ61. On 26 September 1917, the ship engaged and sank a U-boat in the Irish sea, an action which earned Stenhouse a Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) on 17 November. After promotion to lieutenant and a spell in command of the schooner HMS Ianthe, he joined Shackleton on a mission to Murmansk, to equip and train the North Russian (anti-Bolshevik) army. This included, from May 1919, command of a flotilla of motor boats operating on Lake Onega to counter the threat of Bolshevik vessels. For this service he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1920. Post-war life In 1923 Stenhouse married Gladys Mackintosh, Aeneas Mackintosh's widow, and in 1924 a daughter was born. He was promoted to lieutenant-commander in the RNR on 1 August 1924. Between 1927 and 1929 he captained the Discovery on oceanographic and whaling research voyages in Southern Atlantic and Antarctic waters. Thereafter he attempted several business ventures which largely failed, as did an attempt to find treasure in the Cocos Islands. In April 1928, Stenhouse was awarded the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Reserve (RD). He retired from the RNR on 31 December 1931 with the rank of