Henry Aldridge & Son

The Devizes Auctioneers

 

 

 

 

Is This the Key that could have Saved Titanic?

Henry Aldridge and Son, the worlds leading auctioneers of Titanic and White Star Line memorabilia are holding their latest sale of Titanic and White Star Line material on Saturday 22nd September at 1pm. The sale comprises of over 400 lots of Titanic and White Star collectables but without doubt the star of the show is a small key that belonged to David Blair who was the original second officer on Titanic. He sailed with the ship from Belfast to Southampton and was due to carry out his duties as a senior officer until a last minute change in personnel was decided by the management of the White Star Line. Henry Wilde was first officer of the Olympic and due for his own command; Wilde was also a close friend of Captain Edward J. Smith. Due to his experience with the Olympic class it was deemed a good idea to bring him over to Titanic for her maiden voyage. Wilde signed on to join the ship on the 9th April, the day before she sailed.

The following is taken from Charles Lightoller’s autobiography written in 1935, he was Blair’s successor as Second Officer.

 'Unfortunately whilst in Southampton, we had a reshuffle amongst the Senior Officers. Owing to the Olympic being laid up, the ruling lights of the White Star Line thought it would be a good plan to send the Chief Officer of the Olympic, just for the voyage as Chief Officer of the Titanic, to help, with his experience of her sister ship. This doubtful policy threw both Murdoch and me out of our stride; and, apart from the disappointment of having to step back in our rank, caused quite a little confusion Murdoch from Chief, took over my duties as First I stepped back on Blair's toes, as Second, and picked up the many threads of his job, whilst he - luckily for him as it turned out - was left behind. The other officers remained the same. However, a couple of days in Southampton saw each of us settled in our new positions and familiar with our duties.'

Blair was without doubt one of the luckiest men alive at that point because this decision almost certainly saved his life as both Henry Wilde and William Murdoch the Chief and First officers on Titanic both drowned.

The following is a transcript of a postcard that is being offered for auction on the 22nd September written by Blair on the 4th April from Titanic.

POSTMARKED SOUTHAMPTON 11pm. APRIL 4th 1912.

ADDRESSED TO MISS MACKINESS, HIS SISTER-IN-LAW, HILL COTTAGE, BROUGHTY FERRY, FORFARSHIRE, SCOTLAND.

THE MESSAGE READS "ARRIVED IN TITANIC FROM BELFAST TODAY, AM AFRAID I SHALL HAVE TO STEP OUT TO MAKE ROOM FOR CHIEF OFFICER OF THE OLYMPIC WHO WAS GOING IN COMMAND, BUT SO MANY SHIPS LAID HE WILL HAVE TO WAIT. I HOPE EVENTUALLY TO GET BACK TO THIS SHIP.

MANY THANKS FOR PARCEL AND LETTER, NANCY WILL BE PLEASED AS SHE ALREADY SPOTTED THE CONTENTS AS SHE WAS TOO QUICK FOR US.

SO GLAD WINNIE IS COMING. NANCY EAGERLY LOOKING FORWARD TO HER VISIT. YOU SAY SHE TRAVELS MONDAY NIGHT? SHE SAID FRIDAY, SO WE ARE IN DOUBT AS TO WHEN SHE WILL ARRIVE. I SHALL AWAIT LONDON TRAINS TOMORROW IN CASE. BEEN HOME ALL DAY AND DOWN TONIGHT ON WATCH. THIS IS A MAGNIFICENT SHIP, I FEEL VERY DISAPPOINTED I AM NOT TO MAKE HER FIRST VOYAGE.

LOVE TO ALL - WITH GREAT AFFECTION.

DB

(DAVID BLAIR)

The small key carries a tag Crows Nest Telephone Titanic. In Blairs rush to leave Titanic, he carried this key off with him in his pocket. He only found it after Titanic had left Southampton so could do little else but keep it as a memento and treasured it throughout his life passing it onto his daughter Nancy, who is mentioned in the postcard above.

However this little key could have played a part of the fate of the great liner. Henry Aldridge and Son and some of the worlds leading historians in Titanic circles have come to the conclusion that the key had one of two uses. It was either used to lock the Graham and Co Navy type portable telephone in place or to lock the crows nest locker which may have kept the binoculars as mentioned in Lookout Fred Fleet’s testimony.

If this locker was inaccessible to Officer Lightoller and the crew because it was locked after Mr Blair’s departure the confusion as to the location of the binoculars would have stemmed from this. Mr Blair’s surviving son remembers when he was a teenager his father showing him the key. 

Mr Lightoller had only recently moved to Mr Blairs (Second Officers) Cabin. The probability is that he would not have had enough time to find the binoculars if they were indeed still placed in a locker in his cabin. His reluctance to issue binoculars to the lookouts would suggest that he was unsure of their correct location or unable to access them.

Very shortly after Titanic departed Southampton, the lookouts reported that they had no glasses in the crow’s nest. Apparently a pair of glasses had been supplied to the lookouts by Blair on leaving Belfast. After the ship’s arrival at Southampton, Blair had ordered the glasses to be taken from the crow’s nest and locked in his cabin. When, on the day before sailing, Blair left the ship and his cabin was taken by Charles Lightoller, Blair obviously forgot to inform Lightoller of the location of the glasses.
.“”The difficulty of the glasses appears to have been part of the general muddled and confusion resulting from the reshuffle of the senior officers at Southampton.” [1]
 
David Blair was an accomplished seaman and one can only wonder if things would have been slightly different if he had served the whole trip on Titanic. In 1913 he was awarded the Kings Gallantry medal for saving life at sea. Whilst onboard the White Star Liner Majestic he heroically jumped overboard mid Atlantic to save a crewman who had fallen into the sea. This medal and numerous others awarded to him are also to be auctioned in the same sale. The items are being sold by The British and International Sailors Society and it is anticipated that the funds raised from the sale shall initially be applied to assist with the financing of Nautical School Grants for intending and serving seafarers. It shall be dispersed in the memory of Commander Blair as a testament to the life of a remarkable man and sailor. The significance of the Blair Titanic Key and postcard means they are estimated to realize between £50000-£70000.
 
 
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
 
Testimony of Alfred Hogg, Lookout (British Inquiry)
 [p.392/393] [2]
            17494   When the Titanic was leaving Belfast were a pair of glasses given you?                                                     - Yes
            17495    For the crow’s nest?    - Yes
            17496    Who gave them to you?            - Mr. Blair, the acting 2nd officer.
            17498    Did you notice how they were marked?            - “Theatre, marine and field.”   “Second Officer, S.S. ‘Titanic.’
            17499    That was on one side, wasn’t it               - Yes
            17500    Was ‘Theatre, marine and field’ the same?   - No, you worked them as you wanted to use them.’
            17501    When you left the ship at Southampton, what did you do with those glasses?               - Mr. Blair was in the crow’s nest and gave me his glasses and told me to lock them up in his cabin and to return him the keys.
            17502    Who returned the keys?            - I gave them to a man named Weller, as I was busy on the forecastle head.   
            17503    As far as you were concerned, the glasses you were told to be locked up in the cabin of the Second Officer?            - I locked them up.
            17504    And they were locked up. When the ship left Queenstown, were there any glasses in the crow’s nest?- There were none when we left Southampton.
 
            - 3 -
17505 - 17511: Hogg asked Lightoller about the glasses and was given an evasive answer. There continued to be no glasses in the crow’s nest.

British Wreck Commissioner's Inquiry

Day 15

Testimony of Frederick Fleet Lookout:

17366. It was a white light, was it not. Then, when you were pulling towards that light you did not see any ice. Is that right?
- That is right.

17367. But when the day did break you found that there was ice, if I understand you aright?
- All round us.

17368. Not only in front of you, but all round?
- All round the horizon like.

17369. (The Commissioner.) And icebergs?
- Yes.

17370. (The Attorney-General.) Icebergs and field ice. There is only one other question I want to put to you; When you were in the "Oceanic" and employed there as the look-out, did you have glasses?
- Yes.

17371. Glasses provided for you in the crow's-nest?
- Yes; every trip.

17372. Were they kept in the crow's-nest?
- No; at the end of the voyage we took them back to the second Officer.

17373. But whilst on the voyage they were kept somewhere in the crow's-nest?
- Yes, in a bag.

17374. Did you ask for glasses?
- I did not, but Symons did.

17375. You had better tell us what he said?
- He said there were none aboard for us, intended for us.

17376. There was a locker there for glasses, was not there?
- Yes, in the nest.

American Inquiry Day 4:

Senator SMITH.
What protection against the weather have you in the crow's nest?

Mr. FLEET.
We have nothing ahead, and there are just two bits of screen behind us.

Senator SMITH.
Canvas?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
And nothing ahead?

Mr. FLEET.
Nothing in front.

Senator SMITH.
So your view is unobstructed?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Are you given glasses of any kind?

Mr. FLEET.
We had none this time. We had nothing at all, only our own eyes, to look out.

Senator SMITH.
On the Oceanic you had glasses, had you not?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Each of you?

Mr. FLEET.
There is one pair in the nest.

Senator SMITH.
One pair of glasses?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir.

Senator SMITH.
What kind of glasses are they; strong, powerful glasses?

Mr. FLEET.
No, not always, sir.

Senator SMITH.
What were those on the Oceanic?

Mr. FLEET.
Very poor; you could see about from here to that looking-glass (indicating).

Senator SMITH.
Did you make any request for glasses on the Titanic?

Mr. FLEET.
We asked them in Southampton, and they said there was none for us.

Senator SMITH.
Whom did you ask?

Mr. FLEET.
They said there was none intended for us.

Senator SMITH.
Whom did you ask?

Mr. FLEET.
We asked Mr. Lightoller the second officer.

Senator SMITH.
Did you make the request yourself?

Mr. FLEET.
No; the station lookout men did, Hogg and Evans.

Senator SMITH.
How do you know they made it?

Mr. FLEET.
Because they told us.

Senator SMITH.
Where did they tell you; after leaving Southampton?

Mr. FLEET.
In Southampton, and afterwards.

Senator SMITH.
You expected glasses?

Mr. FLEET.
We had a pair from Belfast to Southampton.

Senator SMITH.
You had a pair of glasses from Belfast to Southampton?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir; but none from Southampton to New York.

Senator SMITH.
Where did those go that you had from Belfast to Southampton?

Mr. FLEET.
We do not know that. We only know we never got a pair.

Senator SMITH.
And you had none from Southampton to the place of this accident?

Mr. FLEET.
No, sir.

Senator SMITH.
Suppose you had had glasses such as you had on the Oceanic, or such as you had between Belfast and Southampton, could you have seen this black object a greater distance?

Mr. FLEET.
We could have seen it a bit sooner.

Senator SMITH.
How much sooner?

Mr. FLEET.
Well, enough to get out of the way.

Senator SMITH.
Did you and your mates discuss with one another the fact that you had no glasses?

Mr. FLEET.
We discussed it all together, between us.

Senator SMITH.
Did you express surprise or regret that you had none?

Mr. FLEET.
I do not know what you mean.

Senator SMITH.
Were you disappointed that you had no glasses?

Mr. FLEET.
Yes, sir. 


 

[1] Marcus, G., The  maiden voyage, London, 1969, pp 48/49

[2] Loss of the steamship ‘Titanic’   , Report of a formal investigation.... HMSO< London, 1912