Is this common photo really Lightoller?

Jenna Offerty

Jenna Offerty

Member
This has been driving me a bit nuts! I've never seen this captioned as anything BUT Pitman and Lightoller, despite all my poking around, but it honestly doesn't look anything like Lightoller to me. He seems too tall, and the nose is completely different compared to known photos of him. I know Lightoller regularly smoked a pipe, but lots of men did at the time. Is this really Lightoller, and there's just odd lighting or angling or something making him look different from other photos, or is this someone else entirely? Thank you!

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I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you both. That really doesn't look like Charles Lightoller in my opinion. As Kate mentioned a great deal of men regularly smoked a pipe (as did Charles), but that nose looks completely different than the one that's seen in other photos that he's featured in. And his height looks a bit off..
 
CharlesLightollersWife said:
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you both. That really doesn't look like Charles Lightoller in my opinion. As Kate mentioned a great deal of men regularly smoked a pipe (as did Charles), but that nose looks completely different than the one that's seen in other photos that he's featured in. And his height looks a bit off..
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It honestly is. I remember asking his daughter Mavis. We lived with Kathleen for over ten years, Charles neice. I agree with you though, he does look different here to other photos. I hope we can agree to disagree but it's definitely him, his neice looked like him a little!
 
CharlesLightollersWife said:
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you both. That really doesn't look like Charles Lightoller in my opinion. As Kate mentioned a great deal of men regularly smoked a pipe (as did Charles), but that nose looks completely different than the one that's seen in other photos that he's featured in. And his height looks a bit off..
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No, it is him.

We can compare the two men's height's against one another in the photograph. Lightoller was 5'10 whereas Pitman was 5'8. That's exactly what they look like in that picture.

Lightoller's appearance underwent some change after the Titanic disaster.

Head over to Dan Parkes website and look at the photograph collection he has of Lightoller. Titanic's Officers - RMS Titanic - Second Officer C.H.Lightoller

Look at the photograph of Lightoller taken aboard the Oceanic several months after April 1912. It is clearly apparent that the disaster aged Lightoller at least five years and left him with a very worn, gritty face, he also looks to have lost weight.

Look too at his 1919 merchant navy ID photograph. The combination of the Titanic disaster and multiple stressful wartime experiences left Charles Lightoller looking much older than he was.
 
Seumas said:
No, it is him.

We can compare the two men's height's against one another in the photograph. Lightoller was 5'10 whereas Pitman was 5'8. That's exactly what they look like in that picture.

Lightoller's appearance underwent some change after the Titanic disaster.

Head over to Dan Parkes website and look at the photograph collection he has of Lightoller. Titanic's Officers - RMS Titanic - Second Officer C.H.Lightoller

Look at the photograph of Lightoller taken aboard the Oceanic several months after April 1912. It is clearly apparent that the disaster aged Lightoller at least five years and left him with a very worn, gritty face, he also looks to have lost weight.

Look too at his 1919 merchant navy ID photograph. The combination of the Titanic disaster and multiple stressful wartime experiences left Charles Lightoller looking much older than he was.
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It's Charles. However I know what you mean, he looks different. Charles was an amazing Father and his family are, how shall I put this, well bred! The Lightholler family were aristocratic and I see this side of Charles in this photo. We lived with his neice in Hampstead for many years and I'm familiar with this particular photo. I certainly understand why you have doubts and in terms of height it would depend on shoes and hats! It doesn't matter if you don't believe it's Charles, I'm sure everyone has their own views and that's perfectly acceptable. For me personally there's no doubt whatsoever that this is a photo of Charles. I see the family resemblance absolutely. Kathleen was aristocratic, strong and extremely wealthy and had an air about her, the whole family were the same. I've also met Lady Louise Patten at Kathleen's funeral back in 1998. Kathleen was fed up of people thinking that they knew more about Charles than she did!! If you don't believe this is a photo of Charles you have every right to be of that opinion. Kind regards from Susan
 
Susan 311 said:
It's Charles. However I know what you mean, he looks different. Charles was an amazing Father and his family are, how shall I put this, well bred! The Lightholler family were aristocratic and I see this side of Charles in this photo. We lived with his neice in Hampstead for many years and I'm familiar with this particular photo. I certainly understand why you have doubts and in terms of height it would depend on shoes and hats! It doesn't matter if you don't believe it's Charles, I'm sure everyone has their own views and that's perfectly acceptable. For me personally there's no doubt whatsoever that this is a photo of Charles. I see the family resemblance absolutely. Kathleen was aristocratic, strong and extremely wealthy and had an air about her, the whole family were the same. I've also met Lady Louise Patten at Kathleen's funeral back in 1998. Kathleen was fed up of people thinking that they knew more about Charles than she did!! If you don't believe this is a photo of Charles you have every right to be of that opinion. Kind regards from Susan
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Susan, a bit of crossed wires here.

I fully agree with you that it is C. H. Lightoller in that picture !

It was post No. 4 that was arguing it was not him, and I responded.
 
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Seumas said:
Susan, a bit of crossed wires here.

I fully with you that it is C. H. Lightoller in that picture !

It was post No. 4 that was arguing it was not him, and I responded.
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I'm so sorry, I received an email and thought it only polite to respond. Yes it's definitely Charles! Kind regards from Susan
 
I appreciate the replies! I admit I feel like I'm looking at an optical illusion of some kind, trying to see his features in this photo, and it's not clicking in my brain! It feels like I'm looking at someone else entirely. I do wonder why he looks so different than usual in this photo, yet more "like himself" in the other photos taken in the same time frame as the British inquiry. Thanks again!
 
Kate J said:
I appreciate the replies! I admit I feel like I'm looking at an optical illusion of some kind, trying to see his features in this photo, and it's not clicking in my brain! It feels like I'm looking at someone else entirely. I do wonder why he looks so different than usual in this photo, yet more "like himself" in the other photos taken in the same time frame as the British inquiry. Thanks again!
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It's the shadow of his bowler hat that's probably creating the "illusion". Rest assured, it is definitely Lightoller.

If you look at pictures taken during WW1 of Paymaster-Lieutenant Herbert Pitman without his moustache or Lieutenant Joseph Boxhall on the bridge of his MTB whilst unshaven, wearing a battered cap and clearly dog tired from long ASW patrols, they too for a moment are hard to recognise, but it is them.
 
I am glad this photograph is being questioned - I have often thought it does not look like Lightoller. But then again, he has that particular kind of face that is quite expressive and can look entirely different depending on angle and lighting.

Two cases in point: Lightoller on the Medic in Melbourne 1900 - the moustache makes his face look very different. Lightoller aboard the Carpathia after the Titanic rescue - he looks huge, although it is quite likely due to an ill-fitting cap/jacket that was loaned to him once he arrived aboard the Carpathia.
 

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