Filmed interviews from 1957 with Titanic survivors Maude Slocombe and Katie Manning (nee Gilnagh).
Mrs Slocombe appears first:
And I believe you were in charge of the Turkish Bath on the Titanic.
I was.
And where were you when the iceberg hit the ship?
I was in bed.
When did you first realize things were wrong?
Well, naturally, the thud woke us up up, and, everybody got to their feet, and, I went into a little passage, and I met the second steward, which was Mr. Dodd and he said, “For God’s sake get some clothes on, and get up on deck”. I said, “what's wrong?” He said “I don't know”. So, of course, everybody got... I had a coat on a nightdress, and we got up on the deck and everybody was most cheerful
When did you first realize how serious things were?
I didn't think it was serious because I didn't think it was possible big ship like that could sink. And, everybody was busy, and they was lowering the lifeboats, and the crew were marvellous. Everybody was cheerful.
How did you escape?
In the last lifeboat? And I didn't want to go.
And then, of course, you realized that things were very serious.
Yes I did.
Did you see the ship sink?
I did, it sank very quickly.
That must have been a most dramatic sight.
It was because you could just see the lights going down and down.
Did you hear the music playing?
I did. Almost to the end? Till the end... I heard them play. You know, Nearer My God to Thee, they were playing. And I met a steward and he said, here you are, grab hold of this... and it was a baby. So I took the baby and then when they lowered the last lifeboat I didn’t want to go. And they said... one of the other stewards I think Mr Wheatley he was helping to lower them, and Mr. Murdoch... he was the Chief Steward [sic] and he shouted out ladies... children and women first. They was marvellous.
And you took the baby?
I took the baby., and I didn’t want to go. So they said, come on. And I went down in the last lifeboat, and I think there was 72 in it until the stewards manned the boat.
And which ship rescued you?
Carpathia The Carpathia? And she was full of course, going on a Mediterranean cruise.
And you brought the baby safely back with you?
No, when we got, on the ship the Italian doctor called out for anybody can help. So they had big jars of the you know [?]... so only that the stewards of the Carpathia were waiting there with with brandy and hot blankets for the survivors. And then, of course,
there wasn’t much space for us, we had to go where we could, and the kindness of some of the people that was going the Mediterranean cruise up, helped out with letting us, you know, sleep
When you first went up on the deck of the Titanic. Does anything stand out in your memory?
Only that everybody was most cheerful. And everybody was helping one another and trying to do what they could. They never thought it was so serious.
What did you take with you?
Well, my clothes.
Of your personal things?
Nothing at all. No. I went back to get some personal things that I had... some money and stuff but the water was coming down the, you know, the the stairs. So I had to go back.
You saw the water?
Oh, yes. Coming down the gangways. You know, they call it. So I went back and everybody was up on deck then.
How long were you on deck before you got in the lifeboat?
About an hour.
And then how long were. you at sea before you were rescued?
We were at the at about 2:00, I think we were at about 2:00 when we was picked up. Then we floated around all night in the lifeboat and then we was picked up by the Carpathia. You see, we couldn't... she couldn't come nearer to us. We had to go to them you see, on account of wanting to sink[?]. And you could hear the ice cracking the sides of the boat.
You saw ice around you?
Oh, yes. Cracking the... and the water... the ocean was as smooth as a pond
And you were in the water until.... you were in the boat...?
Til, daylight, and then we was brought on to New York, and the Lapland brought us back to Plymouth. The survivors which had to come back. So then, of course, we was kept there a little while and then brought on to Southampton. Because that was very sad because everybody thought, you knew somebody who was lost and I had so many friends on there and you couldn't tell them anything.
And then you yourself went back to sea.
Yes.
You went back with the White Star Company? Yes.
I made them... what they call a mediterranean cruise, and I was a little while. And then I gave it up and come out to this country, to live.
Yeah. Yeah. Thank you very much.
[RETAKES]
Mrs Slocombe. Where were you when the iceberg struck the ship?
I’d just retired.
And did you realize that something serious had happened straightaway? No.
When did you first realize the ship was in trouble? Until we got up and I met one of the stewards, Mr. Dodd, and he said... I said, “what's wrong?” He said, “I don't know but get up on the deck, everybody get up on the deck.”
Which we did. Then we didn't think it was serious.
You stayed on deck some time?
Yes. Quite a while, everybody was helping... all the stewards. Everybody was helping to put the people in the lifeboats. And one of the stewards gave me a baby to take care of. And we waited in turn to get in the lifeboats. I never wanted to go because I didn't think it was possible that anything could... I felt I was safer on the deck of the ship. But she sank very quickly and I was in the last lifeboat, which was lowered. And then...
How long you were at sea?
All night.
All night.
Yes
Cut! Alright go ahead.
And then you went back to sea.
I did, and I made a mediterranean cruise with the White Star.
Well, thank you very much, Mrs Slocombe.
Thank you.