Titanic Officers
There were many crew members aboard the RMS Titanic the day it went into the ocean.... Some survived, some didn't. On this page I'll bring you up close and personal with the Titanic officers.
Captain Edward John Smith
Born: January 27, 1850
Birthplace: Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England
Died: April 15, 1912, Atlantic Ocean
perished during sinking of RMS Titanic
Edward John Smith attended the Etruria British School until the age of 13 when he went to Liverpool to begin a seafaring career. Captain Smith had joined the White Star Line in 1886, and he steadily progressed through the ranks, taking charge of bigger, better and more important vessels. The list of ships he commanded included, in alphabetic order, Adriatic, Celtic, Coptic, Germanic, Majestic and of course, Olympic, Titanic's older sister ship Olympia
Chief officer Henry Tingle Wilde,
( September 21 1872 – April 15 1912)
perished during sinking of RMS Titanic
Starting as a junior officer, Wilde rose steadily through the ranks while serving on several White Star ships. These included the Covic, Cufic, Tauric, and Delphic.[1] Tragedy struck in December 1910 when Wilde's wife and twin sons Archie and Richard died. In August 1911, Wilde became Chief Officer of Titanic's sister, the RMS Olympic, where he served under Titanic's future captain, Edward J. Smith.
1st officer William "Will" McMaster Murdoch
( February 28 1873 – April 15 1912)
perished during sinking of RMS Titanic
Murdoch, with an "ordinary master's certificate" and a reputation as a "canny and dependable man", had climbed through the ranks of the White Star Line to become one of its foremost senior officers. He was selected to be Titanic's Chief Officer, with 16 years of maritime experience now behind him.
2nd officer Charles Herbert Lightoller
(March 30 1874 - December 1952)
survived the Titanic disaster.
Two weeks before her fateful maiden voyage, Lightoller boarded the RMS Titanic in Belfast and acted as first officer for the sea trials. Captain Edward J. Smith gave Henry Wilde, of the Olympic, the post of chief officer, demoting the original appointee William McMaster Murdoch to first officer and Lightoller to second officer.
Third Officer - Herbert John Pitman
( November 20 1877 - December 2 1961)
Survived the Titanic disaster
At the time of the Titanic's collision with the iceberg, Pitman was off-duty, half-sleeping in his bunk in the Officers' Quarters. He heard and felt the collision, later testifying that it felt like the ship "coming to an anchor." He was dressing for his watch when Fourth Officer Boxhall rushed in and informed him they had struck an iceberg and were taking on water.
Fourth Officer - Joseph Groves Boxhall
( March 23 1884 – April 25 1967)
Survived the Titanic disaster
When Titanic collided with an iceberg at 11.40 PM on 14 April, Officer Boxhall was off duty near the Officers' Quarters. Hearing the lookout bell, he headed immediately to the bridge, arriving just after the impact. Capt. Smith, who had also just arrived on the bridge, ordered Boxhall to perform an inspection of the forward part of the ship. He found no damage, but was later intercepted by the ship's carpenter, who informed him that the ship was taking water.
Fifth Officer - Harold Godfrey Lowe
( November 21 1882 – May 12 1944)
Survived the Titanic disaster
On sailing day (10 April), Lowe assisted (among other things) in the lowering of two of the starboard lifeboats to satisfy the Board of Trade that the Titanic met safety regulations. When the Titanic departed Southampton at noon, Lowe was on the bridge, relaying messages to various parts of the ship by telephone.
James Paul Moody
(August 21 1887 - April 15 1912)
perished during sinking of RMS Titanic
In the ensuing evacuation, Moody helped in the loading of lifeboat Nos. 12, 14, and 16. While loading No. 14, Fifth Officer Lowe remarked that an officer should man the lifeboat. While the lower-ranker Moody would traditionally have been given this task, he deferred to Lowe. It was a decision that would seal his fate. Moody was seen trying to launch Collapsible A, an emergency lifeboat, just a few minutes before the final sinking. Moody was last seen jumping into the sea from the deck, and Although his final fate is unknown, it is likely that, like most of Titanic's victims, he succumbed to hypothermia in the frigid North Atlantic waters. He was 24 at the time of his death.