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Lightoller's Secret Revelations The debate rolls on. Lightoller's secret revelations, in a new book by Lady Louise Pattern Grandaughter of Charles Lightoller, titled, "Good as Gold" attempts to put doubt on certain historical facts regarding the sinking of RMS Titanic. In particuar the roles of J.Bruce Ismay, Murdoch and Quartermaster Robert Hitchins, questions their their actions on that fateful night.
A Statement by Clifford Ismay Great grand nephew of Thomas Henry Ismay In the run up to 2012, the year which marks the centenary of Titanic’s sinking, a new controversial novel has been released. Good as gold written by Lady Patten claims that a well kept family secret demonstrates a new sequence of events which lead to Titanic’s demise, by challenging the integrity of some of those aboard. In the case of J Bruce Ismay; In her interview with the Daily Telegraph, Lady Patten claims that after Titanic’s collision with the iceberg Bruce issued an order for Titanic to “Go slowly ahead”, she stated that Bruce Ismay also said “Titanic was meant to be unsinkable” The assertion is that this action caused water to fill Titanic more quickly resulting in the ship sinking in about half the time as would have taken for her to sink if Titanic had not made way. Her contention is that Titanic would have probably remained afloat until the arrival of the Carpathia and all onboard Titanic could have been saved. We know that Titanic was travelling at almost full speed when the iceberg was sighted and the order was issued; full speed reverse on both wing engines. It would now take at least 900 yards for the ship come to a halt in the water. Titanic was still slowing down when she hit the iceberg and naturally drifted for a short distance afterward. We should remember that Patten’s new book is just a novel and not a historical account. I feel that these claims made by Lady Patten are a slur on the character of Bruce Ismay and others. Bruce Ismay was on board Titanic as a passenger, but even though he was also chairman of the White Star Line he could not issue any orders appertaining to the control of the vessel, only the Captain could do this, and if for any reason the Captain was incapacitated, this authority would be passed on to the 1st. Officer. Neither Ismay, nor the White Star Line ever stated that the ship was meant to be unsinkable; this notion came from a misinterpretation by the press. At the time in question after consultation with Thomas Andrews, Bruce Ismay realised the ship was doomed. By her very words Lady Patten asserts that J Bruce Ismay is now responsible for all the lives lost on Titanic, but I wonder how much research Patten has done to back-up this assertion. Indeed, both the British and American enquiries make no mention of the ship moving forward under her own power after the collision with the iceberg. This is what Edith (Brown) Haisman had to say.
Clifford Ismay Email: your comments enquiries@titanicheritagetrust.org.uk Comment from Ullrich Griese, Vice-Director TITANIC-EXHIBITION: THE MUSEUM This discussion isn´t new. Why is there no person, who registered, that Lightoller talk in the British report of enquiry, that the TITANIC hit the ice-berg at the starboard propeller too, and lost one of that porpellerblades? In the German book "Titanic - Einblicke in den englischen Untersuchungsbericht" (ISBN 978-3-920614-03-8 ) is a interesting point about that. And what do you see at the wreck? Correct there is missing a propellerblade on starboard! An to this discussion it need not to talk more, because we would have for 2012 a lot of new books and stories, what the world perhaps never need. Only god knows it all, what was going in the night, as there sank a ship named TITANIC! Email: your comments enquiries@titanicheritagetrust.org.uk |
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