After returning to England, the squadron assigned to Austin received provisions and placed under the command of Sir Edward Belcher. The Belcher Expedition was augmented by the addition of a fifth ship, "North Star" that remained at Beechey Island as a depot ship. Belcher's orders contained the following objectives: to find Franklin, or evidence regarding his fate by broadening the search to the Eastern Canadian Arctic; and to split the expedition at Beechey Island and send "Resolute" and "Intrepid" west in search of Franklin, as well as secure provisions for "Investigator" and "Enterprise". The expedition left England in April 1852, and later crossed Baffin Bay westward in August 1852. After the rendezvous of the five ships at Beechey Island, splitting the squadron was necessary. The flagship "Assistance" and her steam tender, "Pioneer", headed north up Wellington Channel. "Resolute", then under Captain Kellett, and her steam tender, "Intrepid", headed west and "North Star" remained at Beechey Island. In 1852, of the seven Royal Navy ships searching the Arctic, only "Enterprise" found traces of Franklin's expedition in the form of a small quantity of timber on the eastern coast of Victoria Island.