Were Titanic Historical Records Destroyed during WW2

[Glenn Miller (Glenn)]

I have read, here and elsewhere, that models of the Titanic have been built from "original drawings". Years ago I happened across a comment that stated the record vaults, that held many of these original drawings, were destroyed (all or partially) during the bombings of WW2. This would have been the Cunnard facilities that were bombed.

 

[Mike Herbold]

Glenn:
I'm not up on my WWII history like I used to be. Did the Germans bomb Ireland also? Seems to me all the original drawings would be at Harland & Wolff and not at Cunard.
Mike

 

[Christina]

During a German bombing raid on Belfast in WW2, bombs fell on the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, destroying and damaging a number of buildings.

Among the things that were destroyed were the construction blueprints for "Olympic" and "Titanic". These were printed on fabric (linen, I think).

I know at least one other copy of them survived, but I'm not sure how, or who had them. It might have been Cunard, but that doesn't sound right... and I don't know if they exist anymore now.

 

[Mike Herbold]

Thanks Christina:
I never realized that Germany bombed that far north and west.
Mike Herbold

 

[Dave Gittins]

H & W was raided by the Luftwaffe with fairly serious damage. H & W were making planes as well as ships at the time, so they were a worthwhile target. Plenty of Titanic drawings survived and are available to this day.

I believe that a very serious loss in other raids was the log of Californian, but I don't have the full facts on this. I would be interested to hear the facts.

 

[Jack Dawson]

Don't get too upset that I pulled this ancient post back up for a fresh breath. It really is a good question and I have questions about it yet. Now, weren't a lot of the census records destroyed by the Luftwaffe raids in WW2? How much Titanic related material was destroyed?

Do we have any detailed information to elaborate on Dave's comment regarding the Californian logs?

 

[timberwolf]

I have read, here and elsewhere, that models of the Titanic have been built from "original drawings". Years ago I happened across a comment that stated the record vaults, that held many of these original drawings, were destroyed (all or partially) during the bombings of WW2. This would have been the Cunnard facilities that were bombed.

Is it possible the records were destroyed to stop a discovery of a major flaw in the Titanic's structure or body

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

There were no flaws in her structure.

 

[timberwolf]

Maybe not the structure what about the oxidization level of the metal used as a welder I know that certain metals will weaken in colder waters they eventually Crack which can cause failure

 

[Dave Gittins]

The steel business has been done to death. There should be plenty about it elsewhere. In brief, some years ago, a test piece from the wreck was subjected to a Charpy notch test, in which a small hammer strikes the sample sharply. A sample at 0°C broke smartly. This received great publicity at the time. Less attention was paid to later tests in which the sample was bent at a slower rate, as it would be in a collision. This time the sample simply bent. There is plenty of bent steel in the wreck. It's simply not an issue. Ioannis put it bluntly and correctly.

What I'd like to find are documents concerning the civil claims that were made against White Star in Britain and settled out of court. We have great details about four claims that went to court. White Star lost these, because the court found its servants negligent and because conditions on the contract tickets, intended to protect White Star, were invalid. Following the loss, we know that at least some claimants withdrew their claims in the US court in the hope of getting better treatment in Britain. There seems to be no record of their claims. The documents may have been dumped when Cunard and White Star combined in the 1930s.

 

[timberwolf]

True going onto the court thing r there any relitives of the people who made these claims if so they must have some old family story or documents of this I f u r interested I would enjoy listening to any reasurch u have on titanic

 

[timberwolf]

Which can lead me to maybe finding out about the life boats from titanic

 

[Dave Gittins]

The problem is that we don't know who made claims after the British court cases were settled. We do know that Lily Futrelle, Gilbert M Tucker and Hilda Mary Lacon all withdrew their claims in the US, but that's where the trail ends.

 

[timberwolf]

Are there any relitives of these people that could perhaps shed a bit of light on this matter

 

[timberwolf]

If there r decedent's of these people they might even have some undocumented papers from time time period