Did the Marconi Scandal Influence the British Inquiry?

[Arun Vajpey]

May I suggest that it is very illuminating to compare the above letter of Bride to W Cross to what he said much earlier to the New York Times when they docked.

We (I include myself in it) have all quoted survivors' accounts to newspapers as "evidence" to support our arguments but the reality was - especially in those days where papers were the only public media outlets - they were the most unreliable sources of information by some distance. Newspapers exaggerated, misinterpreted, sensationalized, distorted and in some cases simply made-up survivor stories to sell there wares. We only know what the NYT journalists claimed that Bride told them and there lies the rub.

I am not saying that Harold Bride was a paragon of virtues but I would suggest that the content of a formal letter by him to a senior executive in Marconi Company is more likely to be closer to the facts than a newspaper report. Also, by 27th April 1912, when Bride wrote that letter well before the British Investigation even started, he would not have had enough information to know which direction it would take.

For the record, I do NOT believe that Phillips came anywhere near Collapsible B and am convinced that Lightoller entirely made-up that story about seeing the senior 'Sparks' on board the overturned lifeboat.

 

[Gordon Mooneyhan]

For the record, I do NOT believe that Phillips came anywhere near Collapsible B and am convinced that Lightoller entirely made-up that story about seeing the senior 'Sparks' on board the overturned lifeboat.

Arun, my friend, then begs the question, how trustworthy is Lightoller's autobiography, "Titanic and Other Ships?" It can also be inferred as to how credible a witness he is to the events at the time. My own opinion is that he is lacking in credibility.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

how trustworthy is Lightoller's autobiography, "Titanic and Other Ships?"

IMO, there is so much wrong with many of the details in that work, that I do not trust much of anything that he wrote in it.

 

[Gordon Mooneyhan]

IMO, there is so much wrong with many of the details in that work, that I do not trust much of anything that he wrote in it.

I'm glad I'm not the only person with that feeling.

 

[Julian Atkins]

I’m not so sure about this. I’ve said this before elsewhere on here. Given that in 1913 was the Ryan Trial and Bride and Lightoller gave evidence and the White Star Line were blaming the Marconi operators as ‘3rd party defendants’, I think it entirely possible that it was Bride who made admissions to Lightoller, and due to Bride taking a different stance in testimony both at the British Inquiry and the Ryan Trial, Lightoller used instead the dead Phillips as the source as you can’t libel a dead person.

So Lightoller then had to then lie about Phillips being on the collapsible upturned lifeboat.

I don’t think for one moment Phillips was on that overturned collapsible lifeboat. Phillips drowned as the ship sunk, and that was that.

And as a reposte to Sam I would remind him of Captain Rostron’s autobiography and in respect of The Californian “All the night hove too. Not very miles away”.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

I’ve said this before elsewhere on here. Given that in 1913 was the Ryan Trial and Bride and Lightoller gave evidence and the White Star Line were blaming the Marconi operators as ‘3rd party defendants’, I think it entirely possible that it was Bride who made admissions to Lightoller, and due to Bride taking a different stance in testimony both at the British Inquiry and the Ryan Trial

But is there any evidence that Bride made those admissions to Lightoller? It might be 'possible' but IMO it is unlikely. If, as you say, WSL were blaming Marconi at the Ryan Trial, the one would expect Bride to speak-up for his employers. In doing so, his statements might have been somewhat "measured" but I do not believe that he embellished events as much as Lightoller did.

Lightoller used instead the dead Phillips as the source as you can’t libel a dead person.

So Lightoller then had to then lie about Phillips being on the collapsible upturned lifeboat.

I am not a fan of Lightoller but I find it hard to believe that he would have used a dead man as 'cover' to put forth his opinions. But IF Lightoller was doing what Julian says, then IMO it was unacceptable, immoral and despicable.

I don’t think for one moment Phillips was on that overturned collapsible lifeboat. Phillips drowned as the ship sunk, and that was that.

Absolutely agree on that. By the time the two 'Sparks' finally came out of their wireless cabin, there was very little time left and being inside as they had been till then, neither would have had a clear idea about where to go to give themselves the best chance to survive. They would not even had time to cogitate between themselves and like Bride said somewhere, I believe that he instinctively went forwards while Phillips went aft; the former made it somehow but unfortunately the latter did not.