Charles Lightoller
Charles Lightoller | |
---|---|
Born | Charles Herbert Lightoller 30 March 1874 Chorley, Lancashire, England |
Died | 8 December 1952 Richmond, London, England | (aged 78)
Spouse |
Iowa Sylvania Zillah Hawley-Wilson
(m. 1903) |
Children | 5 |
Awards |
Early life
Lightoller was born in Chorley, Lancashire, on 30 March 1874,[6] into a family that had operated cotton-spinning mills in Lancashire since the late 18th century. His mother, Sarah Jane Lightoller (née Widdows), died of scarlet fever shortly after giving birth to him. His father, Frederick James Lightoller, emigrated to New Zealand when Charles was 10, leaving him in the care of extended family.[7]
Early maritime career
At age 13, not wanting to end up with a factory job, Charles began a four-year apprenticeship on board the
Lightoller returned to the Primrose Hill for his third voyage.[11] They arrived in Calcutta, India, where he passed his second mate's certificate.[11] The cargo of coal caught fire while he was serving as third mate on board the windjammer Knight of St. Michael, and for his successful efforts in fighting the fire and saving the ship, Lightoller was promoted to second mate.[12]
In 1895, at age 21 and a veteran of the dangers at sea, he obtained his mate's ticket and left sailing ships for steamships. After three years of service in Elder Dempster's African Royal Mail Service on the West African coast, he nearly died from a heavy bout of malaria.[10]
Lightoller went to the Yukon in 1898 to prospect for gold in the Klondike Gold Rush. Failing at this, he then became a cowboy in Alberta, Canada.[13] In order to return home, he became a hobo, riding the rails back across Canada.[13] He earned his passage back to England by working as a cattle wrangler on a cattle boat and arrived home penniless in 1899.[10]
While on the
He later joined the
Titanic
On March 20, 1912, Lightoller boarded the
At sea, Lightoller had the 6:00-10:00 watch every morning and night. On 14 April 1912, Lightoller and some of the other officers also discussed the subject of the ship's top speed; they were "interested" in seeing what the ship could do.[27] Murdoch had the 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. watch on the bridge. However, the officers' lunch was served at 12:30. Lightoller returned to the bridge at that time to relieve Murdoch and let him grab a quick bite to eat. Captain Smith came on to the bridge, and gave him a ice warning message; this was the first that Lightoller recalled hearing anything about icebergs ahead of the ship. When Murdoch returned from his lunch, Lightoller mentioned that Captain Smith had given him a message regarding ice. Murdoch showed no overt surprise, but Lightoller was under the impression that the subject was new to the First Officer, just as it had been to him. Lightoller headed off to grab a bite of lunch for himself.[28] At 6:00, Lightoller became officer of the watch, relieving Wilde. Murdoch returned at 7:05 pm.., and took the watch for a half-hour so that Lightoller could have his own dinner. Lightoller returned from dinner to resume his watch. Murdoch remarked to him that the temperature had dropped another four degrees. Murdoch departed the bridge. At 9:00, Captain Smith confered with Lightoller on the bridge, and they agreed that they could be able to see an iceberg with plenty of time to avoid it. Smith left the bridge, saying, "If it becomes all doubtful, let me know...". Lightoller asked Moody to use the telephone to call up the lookouts in the Crow's Nest; he wanted to have them "keep a sharp lookout for ice, particularly small ice and growlers", and to "pass that word on until daylight", as each successive shift took its turn on duty." Moody picked up the phone to the Nest in the wheelhouse and Lightoller overheard him say, "Keep a sharp look out for ice, particularly small ice.", before hanging up. Lightoller noted that Moody's order differed somewhat from the wording that he had specified, as Moody had not mentioned "growlers". Lightoller thought the detail was important enough to have Moody call the lookouts again, and to clarify that they should keep a sharp lookout for "small ice and growlers". Moody carried the order out, ringing the crow's nest a second time and conveying the order correctly this time.[29][30] He then ordered the Quartermaster, Robert Hichens, to check ship's fresh water supply for signs of freezing below the waterline, signs which, if present, would indicate the ship was entering dangerous ice.[31] Lightoller commanded the last bridge watch prior to the ship's collision with the iceberg, after which Murdoch relieved him at 10:00 p.m.; Lightoller conveyed to Murdoch the ship's course and the ice field that they were approaching, and that they expected to be in the vicinity of the ice somewhere around 11:00. Lightoller wished Murdoch "joy of his Watch" and departed the bridge.[32][33] Lightoller had retired to his cabin and was preparing for bed when he felt the collision. Although he felt it had something to do with ice, he continued to lay in his berth, then felt the engines stop. Wearing only his pyjamas, Lightoller hurried out on deck to investigate, and conferred with Pitman on what happened. He retired back to his cabin; deciding it would be better to remain where other officers knew where to find him if needed, he lay awake in his bunk until fourth officer Joseph Boxhall arrived and remarked, "You know we have struck an iceberg." Lightoller responded, "I know we have struck something." Boxhall told him that the mail room was flooding, and Lightoller found the information enough to move him to act. Lightoller did not conclude that the ship would actually founder. He pulled on trousers, and a navy-blue sweater over his pyjamas, and donned (along with socks and shoes) his officer's overcoat and cap.[34]
When Lightoller emerged onto the boat deck, he found that the noise of escapinf steam made it very diffcult to communicate with anyone. During the evacuation, Lightoller took charge of lowering the lifeboats on the port side of the boat deck.[10] He helped to fill several lifeboats with passengers and launched them. Lightoller interpreted Smith's order for "the evacuation of women and children" as essentially "women and children only". As a result, Lightoller lowered lifeboats with empty seats if there were no women and children waiting to board, meaning to fill them to capacity once they had reached the water.[2] Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Godfrey Peuchen has the distinction of being the only adult male passenger Lightoller allowed into the boats on the port side evacuation, due to his previous nautical experience and offer of assistance when there were no seamen available from the Titanic's own complement to help command one of the lowering lifeboats.[35] There were fears from some of the officers that the davits used for lowering the boats would not hold the weight if the boats were full, but they were unaware that the new davits on the Titanic had been designed to do so. Under this misapprehension, Lightoller's plan was to fill the lifeboats from the waterline and sent 10 men to open the gangway doors in the ship's port so that passengers would have access. The men failed in this task and were never seen again (presumed drowned carrying out this final order). The under-capacity boats then pulled away from the ship as soon as they hit the water, rendering the plan a failure. At least one boat is confirmed as wilfully ignoring officers' shouted orders to return.[36][8]
While working at the port side lifeboats, Lightoller was asked by Wilde where the firearms were. Lightoller led him, Murdoch and Smith to the cabin, and brought out the box of revolvers. He said Wilde gave him a revolver, along with ammunition; Lightoller stuffed into his pocket. When Lightoller helped at Collapsible D, he saw a group of men and hopped into the boat, drew his revolver and "encouraged them verbally" to get out. Lightoller later recalled that the gun was not even loaded.[37] He then passed the duty of loading Lifeboat 2 over to Fourth Officer Boxhall. While initial accounts varied, it is now believed there were only 17 people aboard the lifeboat, out of a capacity of 40.[38]
As the ship began its final plunge, Lightoller attempted to launch
Lightoller climbed onto the boat and took charge, calming and organising the survivors (numbering around 30) on the overturned lifeboat.[42] He led them in yelling in unison "Boat ahoy!", but with no success. During the night a swell arose, and Lightoller taught the men to shift their weight with the swells to prevent the craft from being swamped. As dawn broke and it became possible for those in other lifeboats to see them, Lightoller used his officer's whistle to attract the other lifeboats' attention; eventually lifeboats Nos. 4 and 12 rowed over and rescued the survivors of the overturned lifeboat.[10] Upon the Carpathia's arrival Lightoller helped survivors from the lifeboats to the Carpathia and was the last survivor to be taken aboard.
After the sinking, Lightoller published a testimony in the
Recommendations at inquiries
As the senior surviving officer, Lightoller was a key witness at both the American and British inquiries. In his autobiography he described the American inquiry as a "farce", due to the ignorance of maritime matters implicit in some of the questions. He took the British inquiry more seriously and wrote "it was very necessary to keep one's hand on the whitewash brush" as he "had no desire that blame should be attributed either to the B.O.T. (British Board of Trade) or the White Star Line", despite his belief that "one had known, full well, and for many years, the ever-present possibility of just such a disaster".[44]
Lightoller blamed the accident on the seas being the calmest that night that he had ever seen in his life and on the floating icebergs giving no tell-tale early-warning signs of breaking white water at their bases. He deftly defended his employer, the White Star Line, despite hints of excessive speed, a lack of
First World War
Lightoller returned to duty with White Star Line, serving as a mate on
In 1915, he served as the first officer during the trials of another former passenger liner,
Sinking of UB-110
On 19 June 1918, the German U-boat UB-110, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Werner Fürbringer, was depth charged, rammed and sunk off the Yorkshire coast by Lieutenant Commander Lightoller and the crew of HMS Garry.[51]
In his 1933 memoirs, Kapitänleutnant Fürbringer accused the crew of Garry of both violating the Hague Convention of 1907 and repeating the Baralong incidents by opening fire on the unarmed survivors of UB-110 with revolvers and machine guns. Fürbringer alleged that the shooting only ceased when the convoy the Garry had been escorting, which contained many neutral-flagged ships, arrived on the scene. Fürbringer later recalled, "As if by magic the British now let down some life boats into the water."[52]
While Lightoller does not go into detail about the sinking in his memoir, he does confirm Kapitänleutnant Fürbringer's memoirs by admitting that he "refused to accept the hands up air" business. Lightoller explained, "In fact it was simply amazing that they should have had the infernal audacity to offer to surrender, in view of their ferocious and pitiless attacks on our merchant ships. Destroyer versus Destroyer, as in the Dover Patrol, was fair game and no favour. One could meet them and take them on as a decent antagonist. But towards the submarine men, one felt an utter disgust and loathing; they were nothing but an abomination, polluting the clean sea."[53] Lightoller was awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Service Cross for sinking SM UB-110.[54] A total of 23 members of UB-110's crew died during the action and at the hands of Garry's crew after the sinking.[citation needed]
Subsequent wartime service
On 10 June 1918, Lightoller was awarded the
Retirement
After the war, despite his loyal service to White Star Line and having faithfully defended his employers at Titanic inquiries, Lightoller soon found that opportunities for advancement within the line were no longer available. All surviving crewmembers would find that being associated with Titanic was a black mark from which they could not hope to escape.[58] A disillusioned Lightoller resigned shortly thereafter, taking such odd jobs as an innkeeper, a chicken farmer, and later property speculator, at which he and his wife had some success.[59] During the early 1930s, he wrote his autobiography, Titanic and Other Ships,[60] which he dedicated to his "persistent wife, who made me do it".[11] The book eventually became quite popular and began to sell well. It was withdrawn when the Marconi Company threatened a lawsuit, owing to a comment by Lightoller regarding the Titanic disaster and the role of the Marconi operators.[45]
Following his retirement, Lightoller and his wife Sylvia engaged in a variety of jobs such as running an inn, raising chickens, and engaging in property speclucation. In 1936, Lightoller gave a radio interview for the BBC, in which he described the Titanic disaster.
Second World War
The retired Lightoller did not turn his back on sailing altogether, as he eventually purchased a private motor yacht, Sundowner in 1929.[10] In early 1939 he was commissioned by the Admiralty to use Sundowner to tour the German coast to gather information and take photos of German naval installations. This was completed despite Lightoller nearly being caught out near the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven, which he avoided by pretending to be drunk when intercepted by a German naval vessel.[62]
Dunkirk evacuation
In May 1940, Lightoller, together with his oldest son Roger and a young Sea Scout named Gerald Ashcroft, crossed the English Channel in Sundowner to aide in the
At the time of the evacuation, Lightoller's second son, Trevor, was a serving second lieutenant with the 3rd Division (Major-General
Subsequent wartime service
Following Dunkirk, Lightoller continued to serve with the Small Vessels Pool until 1946. He was placed in command of a "Small Armed Vessel", patrolling the
After the Second World War, Lightoller managed a small boatyard in
Family
Lightoller's parents were Frederick James Lightoller and Sarah Jane Widdows. His siblings, Richard Ashton and Caroline Mary Lightoller, both died of scarlet fever in early childhood. While serving on the Majestic, Lightoller met Australian Iowa Sylvania Zillah Hawley-Wilson, known as "Sylvia", on her way home to Sydney after a stay in England.[16]
On the return voyage, she accompanied Lightoller as his bride.[74] The couple had five children: Frederic Roger, Richard Trevor, Sylvia Mavis, Claire Doreen, and Herbert Brian. Their youngest son Brian, an RAF pilot, was killed in action on 4 September 1939 in a bombing raid over Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on the first night of Britain's entry into the Second World War.[66]
Their eldest son, Roger, served in the
Death
Lightoller died of chronic
Portrayals
- Herbert Tiede (1943) — Titanic (German film)[78]
- Edmund Purdom (1953) — Titanic (American film)
- Neil North (1956) — A Night to Remember (Kraft Television Theatre)
- Kenneth More (1958) — A Night to Remember (British film)
- Malcolm Stoddard (1979) - S.O.S. Titanic (TV film)
- Sigmar Solbach (1984) — Titanic (German film)
- Kevin McNulty (1996) - Titanic (TV miniseries)
- John Bolton (1997) — Titanic (Broadway musical)
- Jonathan Phillips (1997) — Titanic(Film)
- Tim Curry (1999) — The Titanic Chronicles (TV film)
- Jesse Baker (2003) — Ghosts of the Abyss (Documentary)
- Andrew Graves (2006) (Seconds from Disaster: Season 3: Episode 1: Titanic)
- Titanic(TV series/4 episodes)
- In the film Dunkirk (2017), Mark Rylance's character "Mr. Dawson", was inspired by Lightoller.[79][80]
Notes
- ^ Sources vary slightly. The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships says, "Sundowner embarked 130 men." A member of Lightoller's crew says he "counted 129 troops aboard." In a radio interview, Lightoller says, "We tallied up 130." A commemorative plaque outside Lightoller's former home in Richmond says he "rescued 127 men." Stenson (2011) says, "Including the three-man crew and the five men rescued from the [sinking ship] Westerly she now had exactly 130 on board."
References
- ^ Lord, Walter (1955). A Night to Remember (PDF). p. 40.
- ^ a b Barczewski, Stephanie L. (2006). Titanic: A Night Remembered. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 21.
- ^ a b c d e f Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. Gutenberg Australia. pp. Chapter 38.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "London Gazette, 2 May 1917".
- ^ "Dunkirk: A Personal Perspective - CH Lightoller". BBC News (Archives). 1950.
- ^ "Mr Charles Herbert Lightoller". Encyclopedia Titanica. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013.
- ^ "Frederick James Lightoller". Stagebarn. Archived from the original on 16 July 2018.
- ^ a b c Lightoller, Charles H. Titanic and Other Ships Chapter 32: eBook at Gutenberg of Australia
- ^ a b "THE SECOND OFFICER WHO SURVIVED TITANIC AND SAVED 130 LIVES AT DUNKIRK". History Channel. 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "From the Titanic to Dunkirk: the unbelievable life of Charles Lightoller". History TV.
- ^ a b c "Commander Charles Herbert Lightoller, DSC & Bar, RD, RNR (1874-1952)". Maritime Quest. 2012.
- ISBN 9781449401887.
- ^ a b c Holzwarth, Larry (7 November 2019). "Charles Lightoller, Second Officer of RMS Titanic was Also a Hero on the Beaches of Dunkirk". History Collection.
- ^ "News Reports". The Sydney Morning Herald. John Fairfax & Sons. 12 October 1900. p. 4. Retrieved 9 April 2012.
The Reported Gun Fire at Fort Denison
- ^ Winship, Pat (13 June 2005). "Charles Herbert Lightoller". Encyclopedia Titanica.
- ^ a b Winship, Patricia Charles Herbert Lightoller profile, encyclopedia-titanica.org; accessed 11 August 2017.
- ^ Unknown (1912). Loss of S.S. Titanic 16.4.1912.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ Williams, Steve. "A Titanic Connection: Second Officer Charles Lightoller 1874 – 1952". Brindle, Lancashire, UK. Brindle Historical Society.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 46.
- ISBN 9781848326415.
- ^ "Lightoller's Titanic Account." Encyclopedia Titanica. Retrieved 2024, 25 March.
- ^ a b "Is this the man who sank the Titanic by walking off with vital locker key?". Standard.co.uk. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Tibbetts, Graham (29 August 2007). "Key that could have saved the Titanic". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 75.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 81.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 90.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 116.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 118.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 133-134.
- ISBN 9781118177662.
- ISBN 9781780722696.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 126-136.
- ^ Butler 2012, p. 65.
- ^ Meddings, Alexander (1 February 2018). "The Incredible Story of Charles Lightoller: the "Titanic" Officer who Saved Soldiers from the Shores of Dunkirk". History Collection. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. pp. Chapter 33.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ISBN 978-0-7524-6996-6.
- ^ Fitch, Layton & Wormstedt 2012, p. 224-229.
- ISBN 978-0-7524-6210-3.
- ^ "TIP – United States Senate Inquiry – Day 1 – Testimony of Charles Lightoller, cont". www.titanicinquiry.org.
- ^ a b Lightoller, Charles H. Titanic and Other Ships, Chapter 34
- ^ "THE SECOND OFFICER WHO SURVIVED TITANIC AND SAVED 130 LIVES AT DUNKIRK". History Collection. 2012. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. Gutenberg Australia. pp. Chapter 34.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lieut. C. H. Lightoller, RNR (October 1912), "Testimonies From the Field", Christian Science Journal, XXX (7): 414–5
- ^ Titanic and Other Ships (chapter 35), Lightoller, Charles Herbert, I. Nicholson and Watson (1935)
- ^ a b c d e Hozwarth, Larry (7 November 2019). "Charles Lightoller, Second Officer of RMS Titanic was Also a Hero on the Beaches of Dunkirk". History Collection. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Charles Lightoller, a Lancashire lad who went to sea". Liverpool, UK: National Museums Liverpool.
- ^ London Gazette, 15 August 1913
- ^ "Charles Herbert Lightoller". OoCities.org.
- ^ Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. Gutenberg Australia. pp. Chapter 42.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lyon, David (1996). The First Destroyers. Naval Institute Press. p. 89.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ "Historic England Research Records". .heritagegateway.org.uk.
- ^ Werner Fürbringer (1999), Fips: Legendary German U-boat Commander, 1915–1918, Naval Institute Press, Annapolis. pp. 118–21.
- ^ Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and Other Ships. Gutenberg Australia. pp. Chapter 44.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Lightoller, Charles, Herbert (1935). Titanic and other ships. Ivor Nicholson and Watson. pp. Chapter 44.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "London Gazette, 14 June 1918". london-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "London Gazette, 2 July 1918". london-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ "London Gazette, August 1919". london-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-8065-2895-3.
- ^ Spignesi 2012, p. 48.
- ^ Lightoller, Commander (1935). TITANIC and Other Ships (1st ed.). London: Ivor Nicholson and Watson.
- ^ "Sundowner | Association of Dunkirk Little Ships". www.adls.org.uk. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ "Sundowner". Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. April 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
- ISBN 978-0-091-93220-6
- ISBN 978-0-316-54770-3, pp. 83–84.
- ^ Levine, Joshua (2017). Dunkirk. HarperCollins.
- ^ a b "Herbert Brian Lightoller". Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
- ISBN 978-1473618275.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ "ASHCROFT, GERALD EDWARD (ORAL HISTORY)". IWM.
- ^ ISBN 978-1526724847.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ "London Gazette 6 June 1939" (PDF). thegazette.
- ^ "Sundowner". Association of Dunkirk Little Ships. Archived from the original on 2 March 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2019.
- ^ "London Gazette, 29 December 1944". london-gazette.co.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
- ^ Day, Martyn (13 August 2017). "Mr. Lightoller goes to Dunkirk". stmargarets.london. Archived from the original on 22 October 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "THE LIFE OF TITANIC OFFICER CHARLES LIGHTOLLER". Archived from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-4738-3008-0.
- ^ Royal Navy postal cover RNSC 12 "30th Anniversary Midget Submarine attack on Tirpitz 22nd September 1943", 22 September 1973 signed by A.T. Lightoller.
- ^ "Sundowner". dunkirk1940.org.
- ^ "Titanic | Deutschland 1942/1943, Spielfilm". filmportal.de (in German). Deutschen Filminstituts. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ^ ""Dunkirk" character who rescued British soldiers based on the most senior officer to survive the Titanic". 28 November 2017.
- ^ "The Incredible Story of Charles Lightoller: The "Titanic" Officer who Saved Soldiers from the Shores of Dunkirk". February 2018.
Further reading
- Stenson, Patrick; with an introduction by Walter Lord (1984). "Lights" : the Odyssey of C. H. Lightoller. London: ISBN 978-0-370-30593-6.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - Lightoller, C. H., Cmdr.(c. 1920). Titanic and Other Ships at Project Gutenberg Australia London: Grove Press.
- Lightoller, C. H (2010). Titanic and Other Ships. Oxford: Benediction Classics. OCLC 1099784336.
- Fitch, Tad; Layton, J. Kent; Wormstedt, Bill (2012). On A Sea of Glass: The Life & Loss of the R.M.S. Titanic. Amberley Books. ISBN 978-1848689275.
External links
- Quotations related to Charles Lightoller at Wikiquote
- Media related to Charles Lightoller at Wikimedia Commons
- BBC Radio Interview with Charles Lightoller about Dunkirk Evacuation