Recently there has been debate in some other forums regarding the purpose of the wheel on Titanic's docking bridge. I wrote an article recently to answer questions raised in those debates. Titanic Docking Bridge Wheel Function Article
Nice article Bob. If that wheel was intended to be used while the ship was backing, then they would have placed it so that the aft helmsman would be facing aft, not forward, just like the wheel on the navigating bridge faced forward for the helmsman to use when the ship was being navigated in channel waters.