Lightholler - Nine Trades of Dundee

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set. An hour later the temperature was almost freezing yet the weather was clear and the sea unusually calm. At 8:55 p.m. Captain Smith arrived on the bridge and remarked to Lightoller about how cold it was. Because of the many, stars in the sky. Lightoller believed that there would be a great deal of reflected light from any icebergs that might be nearby. At 9:20 p.m. the Captain left Lightoller with these instructions: “If in the slightest degree doubtful, let me know." And with that he left the bridge knowing that navigationally speaking, this was the most crucial part of the Titanic's voyage. Unfortunately, even though the Captain had received a number of ice warning messages that afternoon - most notably from the Baltic, Caronia, Amerika and the Californian - only the Caronia’s warning had been posted in the chartroom (according to later testimony from the surviving officers). The officer's, therefore, were unaware of the other warnings. At 9:30 p.m. Lightoller instructed Sixth Officer Moody to telephone the crow's nest and ask the men to keep a sharp lookout for small ice and to pass the word to subsequent watches. 10:00 p.m. Lightoller was relieved by First Officer Murdoch and went through the formalities of handing on the ship's course, speed and revolutions. He let Murdoch know that the lookout had been instructed to lookout for small ice, he then set off on his rounds, which meant covering a mile or more of deck and hundreds of feet of ladders and staircases. He returned to his cabin, and at 11: 40 p.m., was just nodding off when he felt a grinding vibration. Still in his pyjamas, he went on deck where he met Third Officer Herbert Pitman who had also been disturbed by the vibration. They concluded that the vessel had hit something, but could see no sign of anything. There was no sign of undue alarm on the bridge so they returned to their cabins to await orders. Ten minutes later, Fourth Officer Boxhall entered his cabin and informed him that "the water was up to the E deck in the Mail Room." Lightoller pulled a pair of trousers, pullover and a bridge coat over his pyjamas and went out on deck. The Titanic had been running under full steam, and now every safety valve had been lifted and the steam was roaring off at all exhausts. Lightoller took charge of the even number boats on the port side, but owing to the noise it was impossible for anyone to be heard. Lightoller found that he had to use hand signals to convey messages. At this time he was convinced that the situation was serious, but did not believe that the vessel would founder. As soon as Lightoller received the orders, he started loading women and children into lifeboat 4. When he tried loading them he found that windows on A-deck were locked, so he switched to loading Lifeboat 6. Suddenly the safety valves closed and Lightoller found that he was once again able to give orders by Voice. Wilde seemed unduly, cautious about allowing the boats to be lowered. Lightoller, a veteran of a previous shipwreck, knew differently, and sought the permission of the Captain to lower the boats. He managed to persuade about 25 people to get into lifeboat 6 and started lowering it. About halfway down it was realized that there was only one seaman in the boat. Lightoller called for a seaman and Major Arthur Peuchan volunteered that, while not a seaman, he was a yachtsman. Lightoller told him to get onto the falls and slide down to the boat. This was the only male passenger Lightoller allowed into a lifeboat that night. Among the women helped into Lifeboat 6 was Margaret Brown. Lifeboat 8 went away with 24 women, a seaman, two stewards and a cook with orders to row towards the lights of the ship that was still visible but not responding. Boat 12 went away at 1:25 a.m. with 40 women and children. Boat 14 went down the falls at 1:30 a.m. with 50 women and Fifth Officer Lowe. Five minutes later Boat 16 began its descent packed with women from second class. Around this time Wilde came to Lightoller to ask where the firearms were kept. These had been Lightoller's responsibility when he had been First Officer in Belfast. ‘Lights’ led Captain Smith, Wilde and the remaining officers to the locker in the First Officer's cabin. As he was about to leave Wilde shoved a gun into his hand with some ammunitions saying you might need this. Lightoller was doubtful but events would prove Wilde right. By now, the A-deck windows had been opened and Boat 4 was able to be loaded. Lightoller was aided by US Army Colonel Archibald Gracie and his friend Clinch Smith. One of the passengers in Boat 4 was Madeline Astor. He tried to remove 13 year old John Borie Ryverson from the boat, but was persuaded by the boy's father to allow him to stay. Just then someone pointed out that a group of men had taken over Lifeboat 2. Lightoller jumped into the boat and threatened them with his empty, gun driving them all out. With the help of Gracie and Smith they were able to load 2
36 women and children into this boat, and it was lowered at 1:55 a.m. The lifeboat needed to travel only 15 feet to reach the water. In normal circumstances it would have been 70 feet. At around 2:00 a.m. all of the Titanic’s rockets had been fired and all the lifeboats had been lowered save for the four collapsible Engelhardt-type boats with canvas sides. Collapsibles A and B were still lashed upside down to the roof of the officers' quarters. Collapsible D was lifted, righted and hooked to the tackles where Boat 2 had been. The crew then formed a ring around the lifeboat and allowed only women to pass through. The boat could hold 47, but after 15 women had been loaded no more women could be found. Lightoller now allowed to men to take the vacant seats. Then Colonel Gracie arrived with more female passengers and all the men immediately stepped out and made way for them. When loading this boat, Lightoller was ordered by First Officer Wilde to go with her, "Not damn likely" was Lightoller's reply and he stepped back on deck. While the collapsible was lowered to the ocean, two men were seen to jump into it from the rapidly, flooding A deck. Lightoller still had the Collapsible B to get off. As the water rose on the Boat Deck, he climbed on to the top of the officer’s quarters and, using a borrowed pen knife he stripped the covers and cut away the ropes. He was able to send it down to the flooded deck. Just then the Titanic took a great plunge forward. He turned to face the sea and dived in. He had started to swim clear when he was sucked against the grating of one of the large ventilator shafts, and he was taken down with the ship. As the water hit the still hot boilers, the blast blew him back to the surface where he found himself alongside the capsized Collapsible B. As the Titanic went under, the forward funnel broke loose and toppled his way, narrowly missing him. Thirty men had climbed onto the overturned Collapsible B. They included two First Class passengers, Second Officer Lightoller, Colonel Gracie, the two Marconi Operators Phillips and Bride. The rest were all crew, mainly firemen. They paddled away from the remaining swimmers, fearing that they would swamp them. Bride informed Lightoller that the Baltic, Olympic and Carpathia were on their way to rescue them. Lightoller calculated that the Carpathia would arrive around dawn. Three men died that night, one of them Philips. When dawn and the Carpathia arrived, the Collapsible B was slowly sinking, and as the Carpathia was picking up other survivors the men on the capsized boat transferred to two lifeboats. Lightoller found himself in lifeboat 12, designed for 65-capacity, now with 75 persons on board. Boat lifeboat 12 was the last boat to be rescued by the Carpathia with Second Officer Lightoller in command. As the boat neared the ship, one wave, then another, broke over its bow. It seemed that she might flounder but was soon in the shelter of the Carpathia, rope ladders were lowered and Lightoller helped all the survivors out before he climbed aboard himself, becoming the last Titanic survivor taken aboard the Carpathia. After the Carpathia arrived in New York, Lightoller was called to testify at the American Inquiry into the sinking As the most senior surviving officer he found himself having to defend the Captain, the officers and the company against some of the more serious charges brought against them. Lightoller with Herbert Pitman at the British Inquiry (Daily Graphic) In 1913, following the American Senate Inquiry, and the British Inquiry, Lightoller returned to sea as First Officer of the Oceanic. On August 4th 1914, the Great War began and the R. M. S. Oceanic became H.M. S. Oceanic, aimed merchant cruiser, while First Officer Lightoller of White Star Lines became Lieutenant Lightoller of the Royal Navy. Oceanic had two captains, a Royal Navy skipper, Captain William Slayter, and Captain Henry Smith, who had been the commander of the Oceanic for the last two years. She was put on Northern Patrol. Her job was to patrol a 150 - mile stretch of water in the area of the Shetland Islands. The 17,000 ton, 700ft vessel was far too big and totally unsuited for the waters in which she was sailing. On September 8th 1914, as a result of her unstable command and unsuitable role, she ran aground on the Shaalds near the island of Foula. Lightoller was off watch and in his cabin at the time. Once again he found himself supervising the lowering and loading of lifeboats. Three weeks later the Oceanic broke up in a storm and was gone. 3
Page 1: Second Officer: Charles Herbert Lig
Page 5: on to join the Royal Navy where he

Lightholler - Nine Trades of Dundee

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