Mr Bertram Slade, 26, was born in Hampshire. He signed on to the Titanic on 6 April 1912 as a fireman. 

On the morning of 10 April he and his brothers Alfred and Thomas were drinking together in The grapes pub together with their lodger V. Penney and several fellow shipmates.

One of whom, John Podesta later recalled:

I got up on the morning of April 10th and made off down to the ship for eight o'clock muster, as is the case on all sailing days, which takes about an hour. As the ship is about to sail at about twelve o'clock noon most of us firemen and trimmers go ashore again until sailing time. So off we went [with] several others I knew on my watch, which was 4 to 8. My watch-mate, whose name was William Nutbean and I went off to our local public-house for a drink in the Newcastle Hotel. We left about eleven fifteen making our way toward the docks. Having plenty of time we dropped into another pub called the Grapes, meeting several more ship-mates inside. So having another drink about six of us left about ten minutes to twelve and got well into the docks and toward the vessel. With me and my mate were three brothers named Slade: Bertram, Tom and Alfred.

We were at the top of the main road and a passenger train was approaching us from another part of the docks. I heard the Slades say, "Oh, let the train go by". But me and Nutbean crossed over and managed to board the liner. Being a long train, by the time it passed, the Slades were too late, and the gangway was down leaving them behind. So it seemed they did not have to go.

As a result Penney and the Slades were listed as having deserted the ship.

Bertram was living at 14 Bond Street, Southampton when he died on 17 October 1943 age 59 in Hants Hospital, Southampton and was buried 21st October in a pauper's grave with 9 Other people with no relation to him in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton (section E3, plot 8 unmarked grave).