The ideal inquiry

[Sarah S]

Hello everyone,

what should the ideal Titanic inquiry have been like in order to attain the most valuable information out of it? What could have been done better or what should have been included?

In my opinion, they should have invited more passengers to testify, among every class a handful of survivors. I know that the Duff Gordons where called to testify among first class passengers. But I think it would have been important to let 2nd and 3rd class survivors speak on their survival and the way the evacuation was managed in their section of the ship.

 

[Thomas Krom]

Hello Sarah,


How have you been? Sorry if I didn't responded earlier, I am presently on holiday. I fully agree that more second and third class passengers should have been questioned at the inquiries.

In my opinion a lot of the surviving crewmembers were omitted from both inquiries, most of them arrived in Plymouth in May 1912 with the SS Lapland (Dr. Paul Lee wrote an excellent book on the newspaper interviews they gave, this book is called "Tales from the Lapland"). These are the names of the crewmembers who arrived who never testified at either inquiries:
Deck crew:

Able bodied seaman John Anderson (1870-1914?)

Master-at-arms Henry Joseph Bailey (1865-1943)

Lookout Alfred Frank Evans (1887-1964)

Deck storekeeper John Foley (1865-1934)

Able bodied seaman James Forward (1884-1940)

Window cleaner William Harder (1872-1947)

Quartermaster Sidney Humphreys (1859-1919)

Able bodied seaman William McCarthy (1863-1932)

Able bodied seaman George Francis 'Paddy' McGough (1875-1940)

Able bodied seaman Charles Henry Pascoe (1867-1937)

Able bodied seaman William Chapman Peters (1886-1950)

Able bodied seaman Philip Francis Vigott (1879-1941)

Able bodied seaman William Clifford Weller (1881-1954)

Engine crew

Trimmer Ernest Frederick Allen (1888-1968)

Trimmer James Albert Avery (1891-1915)

Trimmer Walter William Binstead (1891-1959)

Trimmer Percival Albert Blake (1889-1968)

Fireman George Combes (1877-1916)

Fireman Robert Frederick William Couper (1882-1941)

Fireman William Clark (1869-19?)?

Fireman John Joseph Diaper (1885-1955)

Fireman Christopher Arthur Shulver/John Dilley (1883-1922)

Fireman Frederick Doel (1889-1940)

Trimmer Albert James Dore (1889-1953)

Fireman Frank Dymond (1876-1947)

Engineers mess steward Cecil William Fitzpatrick (1890-1964)

Fireman Edward Flaherty (1860-1940)

Trimmer Walter Francis Fredericks (1891-1960)

Trimmer Albert Ernest Fryer (1882-1944)

Fireman George Auguste Godley (1873-1940)

Leading fireman Thomas Gibson Graham (1883-19?)

Fireman John Haggan (1877-1952)

Fireman Fred Harris (1873-19?)

Trimmer William Albert Thomas Hebb (1889-1932)

Trimmer Albert Sylvanus Hunt (1889-1949)

Fireman Walter Hurst (1888-1964)

Fireman Charles Edward Judd (1880-1960)

Fireman Frederik/Friedrich Kasper (1872-1942?)

Fireman George Kemish (1889-1966)

Fireman messman/crew cook Thomas Knowles (1867-1951)

Fireman William Charles Lindsay (1881-1960)

Fireman William James Major (1880-1960)

Fireman Frank Archibald Robert Mason (1880-1953)

Fireman Thomas Jubilee Mayzes (1887-1928)

Trimmer James McGann (1882-1918)

Fireman John William Moore (1883-1954)

Fireman William John Murdoch (1874-1941)

Fireman Henry Noss (1881-1961)

Fireman William Nutbean (1881-1947)

Trimmer John O’Connor (1882-1933)

Fireman Harry Oliver (1871-1944)

Fireman Charles Alfred Othen (1876-1952)

Greaser George Alexander Prangnell (1881-1953)

Trimmer Edgar Lionel Perry (1892-1940)

Trimmer George Pellham (1873-1939)

Fireman John Pearce (1878-1933)

Fireman Arthur John Priest (1887-1937)

Fireman Alfred John Alexander Podesta (1887-1968)

Fireman William Robert Holland Pusey (1890-1918)

Fireman Charles John Rice (1880-1949)

Fireman Albert Charles Edward Self (1888-1954)

Fireman Harry Senior (1881-1937)

Trimmer Eustace Philip Snow (1890-1966)

Fireman Henry William Sparkman (1876-1947)

Fireman Thomas Albert Street (1887-1964)

Fireman William Henry Taylor (1883-1914)

Leading fireman Thomas Threlfall (1867-1934)

Fireman George Terrill Thresher (1886-1939)

Fireman Robert Triggs (1871-1931)

Greaser Alfred White (1880-1922)

Trimmer William George White (1888-1927)

Victualling crew

First class saloon steward Allen Marden Baggott (1884-1921)

First class plate washer Percy Ball (1894-1933)

First class stewardess Mabel Kate Bennett (1878-1974)

Second class stewardess Emma Bliss (1866-1959)

Extra third baker Charles Burgess (1893-1960)

Second class plate washer Arthur Victor Edward Burrage (1891-1951)

Turkish bath stewardess Annie Caton (1879-1947)

Second class boots/cleaning steward Joseph Charles Chapman (1879-1939)

Scullion Joseph Colgan (1879-19?)

First class saloon steward Frederick Horace Crafter (1891-1960)

First class bedroom steward Charles James Cullen (1863-1939)

Third class steward Sidney Edward Daniels (1893-1983)

Assistant Légumier John Bertie Ellis (1883-1932)

First class bedroom steward William Stephen Faulkner (1875-1949)

Third class steward Wilfred Cyril Foley (1890-1916)

First class stewardess Mary Josephine Gregson (1867-1923)

Second class saloon steward Jacob William Gibbons (1875-1965)

First class stewardess Jane Kate Coulson Gold (1866-1948)

Boots steward/cleaning steward Elgar John Guy (1882-1922)

First class saloon steward Aragõa Drummond Harrison (1871-1947)

First class saloon steward Frederick Hartnell (1890-1920)

Third class steward Leo James Hyland (1893-1974)

Third class steward Richard Halford/ Walter Stamford (1884-1953)

First class stewardess Violet Constance Jessop (1887-1971)

First class saloon steward Percy Edward Keen (1881-1954)

Second class stewardess Elizabeth Lavington (1872-1949)

Scullion Henry Reginald Lee/ F Martin (1882-1965)

Third class steward Arthur Ernest Read Lewis (1884-1973)

First class saloon steward Alexander James Littlejohn (1872-1949)

First class saloon steward William Watson Lucas (1881-1944)

First class saloon steward Arthur McMicken (1885-1958)

First class stewardess Annie Martha Martin (1872-1936)

Entremetier Isaac Hiram Maynard (1880-1948)

First class stewardess Hypatia McLaren (1869-1959)

Butcher Christopher Mills (1860-1930)

Assistant Baker Harold Bentley Neal (1886-1950)

Assistant second class saloon steward Walter Henry Nichols (1876-1960)

Third class pantryman Albert Victor Pearcey (1887-1952)

Second class saloon steward Richard Paul Josef Pfropper (1882-1964)

Second class saloon steward Harold Charles William Phillimore (1888-1967)

Third class steward Frank Port (1889-1943)

Storekeeper Frank Winnold Prentice (1889-1982)

First class stewardess Alice Maud Prichard (1875-1948)

Third class steward Harold John Arnold Prior (1891-1949)

Third class steward Alfred Pugh (1891-1962)

First class stewardess Mary Kezia Roberts (1870-1932)

Scullion Horace Leopold Ross (1874-1940)

Second class saloon steward William Edwy Ryerson (1878-1949)

Third class steward Charles James Savage (1888-1957)

Third class scullion Andrew George James Simmons (1880-1948)

First class stewardess Mary Jane Sloan (1866-1953)

Turkish bath stewardess Maud Louise Slocombe (1881-1967)

First class stewardess Kate Elizabeth Smith (1867-1947)

Senior stewardess Sarah Agnes Stap (1864-1937)

Assistant verandah Café Steward John Stewart (1883-1946)

First class bedroom steward Franz Alfred Daniel Maximilian Theissinger (1865-1949)

Assistant second class saloon steward Frank Terrill (1884-1949?)

First class saloon steward Fred Toms (1882-1937)

First class saloon steward Albert Charles Thomas (1889-1973)

First class saloon steward Benjamin James Thomas (1881-1937)

Assistant second class saloon steward Walter John Williams (1883-1971)

Saucier Alfred Edgard Windebank (1873-1961)

Second class smoking room steward James William Cheetham Witter (1880-1961)

Glory hole steward William Wright (1864-1940)

First class saloon steward Harry Yearsley (1871-1939)

Á la carte restaurant staff:
Senior cashier of the á la carte restaurant Ruth Harwood Bowker (1880-1956)

Second cashier Mabel Elvina Martin (1892-1960)


All their insight would have been very helpful for even more insight. Quite a number of the men and women above gave press interviews or we have letters written by them. (By incident I may included some names that were indeed questioned at the inquiries)

Kind regards,

Thomas

 

[Mike Spooner]

I would agree the inquires where bit of a shambles with so many more could given evident but never asked. Certainly wouldn't get away into todays standard of a major transport disaster.

 

[Sarah S]

Hello Sarah,


How have you been? Sorry if I didn't responded earlier, I am presently on holiday. I fully agree that more second and third class passengers should have been questioned at the inquiries.

In my opinion a lot of the surviving crewmembers were omitted from both inquiries, most of them arrived in Plymouth in May 1912 with the SS Lapland (Dr. Paul Lee wrote an excellent book on the newspaper interviews they gave, this book is called "Tales from the Lapland"). These are the names of the crewmembers who arrived who never testified at either inquiries:
Deck crew:

Able bodied seaman John Anderson (1870-1914?)

Master-at-arms Henry Joseph Bailey (1865-1943)

Lookout Alfred Frank Evans (1887-1964)

Deck storekeeper John Foley (1865-1934)

Able bodied seaman James Forward (1884-1940)

Window cleaner William Harder (1872-1947)

Quartermaster Sidney Humphreys (1859-1919)

Able bodied seaman William McCarthy (1863-1932)

Able bodied seaman George Francis 'Paddy' McGough (1875-1940)

Able bodied seaman Charles Henry Pascoe (1867-1937)

Able bodied seaman William Chapman Peters (1886-1950)

Able bodied seaman Philip Francis Vigott (1879-1941)

Able bodied seaman William Clifford Weller (1881-1954)

Engine crew

Trimmer Ernest Frederick Allen (1888-1968)

Trimmer James Albert Avery (1891-1915)

Trimmer Walter William Binstead (1891-1959)

Trimmer Percival Albert Blake (1889-1968)

Fireman George Combes (1877-1916)

Fireman Robert Frederick William Couper (1882-1941)

Fireman William Clark (1869-19?)?

Fireman John Joseph Diaper (1885-1955)

Fireman Christopher Arthur Shulver/John Dilley (1883-1922)

Fireman Frederick Doel (1889-1940)

Trimmer Albert James Dore (1889-1953)

Fireman Frank Dymond (1876-1947)

Engineers mess steward Cecil William Fitzpatrick (1890-1964)

Fireman Edward Flaherty (1860-1940)

Trimmer Walter Francis Fredericks (1891-1960)

Trimmer Albert Ernest Fryer (1882-1944)

Fireman George Auguste Godley (1873-1940)

Leading fireman Thomas Gibson Graham (1883-19?)

Fireman John Haggan (1877-1952)

Fireman Fred Harris (1873-19?)

Trimmer William Albert Thomas Hebb (1889-1932)

Trimmer Albert Sylvanus Hunt (1889-1949)

Fireman Walter Hurst (1888-1964)

Fireman Charles Edward Judd (1880-1960)

Fireman Frederik/Friedrich Kasper (1872-1942?)

Fireman George Kemish (1889-1966)

Fireman messman/crew cook Thomas Knowles (1867-1951)

Fireman William Charles Lindsay (1881-1960)

Fireman William James Major (1880-1960)

Fireman Frank Archibald Robert Mason (1880-1953)

Fireman Thomas Jubilee Mayzes (1887-1928)

Trimmer James McGann (1882-1918)

Fireman John William Moore (1883-1954)

Fireman William John Murdoch (1874-1941)

Fireman Henry Noss (1881-1961)

Fireman William Nutbean (1881-1947)

Trimmer John O’Connor (1882-1933)

Fireman Harry Oliver (1871-1944)

Fireman Charles Alfred Othen (1876-1952)

Greaser George Alexander Prangnell (1881-1953)

Trimmer Edgar Lionel Perry (1892-1940)

Trimmer George Pellham (1873-1939)

Fireman John Pearce (1878-1933)

Fireman Arthur John Priest (1887-1937)

Fireman Alfred John Alexander Podesta (1887-1968)

Fireman William Robert Holland Pusey (1890-1918)

Fireman Charles John Rice (1880-1949)

Fireman Albert Charles Edward Self (1888-1954)

Fireman Harry Senior (1881-1937)

Trimmer Eustace Philip Snow (1890-1966)

Fireman Henry William Sparkman (1876-1947)

Fireman Thomas Albert Street (1887-1964)

Fireman William Henry Taylor (1883-1914)

Leading fireman Thomas Threlfall (1867-1934)

Fireman George Terrill Thresher (1886-1939)

Fireman Robert Triggs (1871-1931)

Greaser Alfred White (1880-1922)

Trimmer William George White (1888-1927)

Victualling crew

First class saloon steward Allen Marden Baggott (1884-1921)

First class plate washer Percy Ball (1894-1933)

First class stewardess Mabel Kate Bennett (1878-1974)

Second class stewardess Emma Bliss (1866-1959)

Extra third baker Charles Burgess (1893-1960)

Second class plate washer Arthur Victor Edward Burrage (1891-1951)

Turkish bath stewardess Annie Caton (1879-1947)

Second class boots/cleaning steward Joseph Charles Chapman (1879-1939)

Scullion Joseph Colgan (1879-19?)

First class saloon steward Frederick Horace Crafter (1891-1960)

First class bedroom steward Charles James Cullen (1863-1939)

Third class steward Sidney Edward Daniels (1893-1983)

Assistant Légumier John Bertie Ellis (1883-1932)

First class bedroom steward William Stephen Faulkner (1875-1949)

Third class steward Wilfred Cyril Foley (1890-1916)

First class stewardess Mary Josephine Gregson (1867-1923)

Second class saloon steward Jacob William Gibbons (1875-1965)

First class stewardess Jane Kate Coulson Gold (1866-1948)

Boots steward/cleaning steward Elgar John Guy (1882-1922)

First class saloon steward Aragõa Drummond Harrison (1871-1947)

First class saloon steward Frederick Hartnell (1890-1920)

Third class steward Leo James Hyland (1893-1974)

Third class steward Richard Halford/ Walter Stamford (1884-1953)

First class stewardess Violet Constance Jessop (1887-1971)

First class saloon steward Percy Edward Keen (1881-1954)

Second class stewardess Elizabeth Lavington (1872-1949)

Scullion Henry Reginald Lee/ F Martin (1882-1965)

Third class steward Arthur Ernest Read Lewis (1884-1973)

First class saloon steward Alexander James Littlejohn (1872-1949)

First class saloon steward William Watson Lucas (1881-1944)

First class saloon steward Arthur McMicken (1885-1958)

First class stewardess Annie Martha Martin (1872-1936)

Entremetier Isaac Hiram Maynard (1880-1948)

First class stewardess Hypatia McLaren (1869-1959)

Butcher Christopher Mills (1860-1930)

Assistant Baker Harold Bentley Neal (1886-1950)

Assistant second class saloon steward Walter Henry Nichols (1876-1960)

Third class pantryman Albert Victor Pearcey (1887-1952)

Second class saloon steward Richard Paul Josef Pfropper (1882-1964)

Second class saloon steward Harold Charles William Phillimore (1888-1967)

Third class steward Frank Port (1889-1943)

Storekeeper Frank Winnold Prentice (1889-1982)

First class stewardess Alice Maud Prichard (1875-1948)

Third class steward Harold John Arnold Prior (1891-1949)

Third class steward Alfred Pugh (1891-1962)

First class stewardess Mary Kezia Roberts (1870-1932)

Scullion Horace Leopold Ross (1874-1940)

Second class saloon steward William Edwy Ryerson (1878-1949)

Third class steward Charles James Savage (1888-1957)

Third class scullion Andrew George James Simmons (1880-1948)

First class stewardess Mary Jane Sloan (1866-1953)

Turkish bath stewardess Maud Louise Slocombe (1881-1967)

First class stewardess Kate Elizabeth Smith (1867-1947)

Senior stewardess Sarah Agnes Stap (1864-1937)

Assistant verandah Café Steward John Stewart (1883-1946)

First class bedroom steward Franz Alfred Daniel Maximilian Theissinger (1865-1949)

Assistant second class saloon steward Frank Terrill (1884-1949?)

First class saloon steward Fred Toms (1882-1937)

First class saloon steward Albert Charles Thomas (1889-1973)

First class saloon steward Benjamin James Thomas (1881-1937)

Assistant second class saloon steward Walter John Williams (1883-1971)

Saucier Alfred Edgard Windebank (1873-1961)

Second class smoking room steward James William Cheetham Witter (1880-1961)

Glory hole steward William Wright (1864-1940)

First class saloon steward Harry Yearsley (1871-1939)

Á la carte restaurant staff:
Senior cashier of the á la carte restaurant Ruth Harwood Bowker (1880-1956)

Second cashier Mabel Elvina Martin (1892-1960)


All their insight would have been very helpful for even more insight. Quite a number of the men and women above gave press interviews or we have letters written by them. (By incident I may included some names that were indeed questioned at the inquiries)

Kind regards,

Thomas

I hope you’re enjoying your holidays!
Thanks for this very detailed list. I realize they couldn’t invite everyone. But they should have called from each section of the crew and from each class of passengers some representatives to report about the sinking.

 

[Mike Spooner]

Of the 200 survivors returning back to Plymouth would become under house arrest until given written statements telling of their experiences. Yet of the 138 written statements given not one would appeared in the British Inquiry.
One has to wander who pick the ones to do the inquiry in the first place, and why pick a bunch of non marine experts to run the inquiries to?