Hello Sarah,
Did Jack make any comment on Lightoller
Jack Thayer gave four accounts of the sinking (2 in 1912, 1 in 1932 and 1 in 1940) and he named Lightoller a couple of times. Here are all mentions of second officer Lightoller (all spelling is preserved as how Thayer wrote it)
In his 1912 statements he named Lightoller twice:
“We had the second officer, Mr. Lightoller on board. He had an officer’s whistle and whistled for the boats in the distance to come up and take us off. It took about an hour and a half for the boats to draw near. Two boats came up. The difficulty about this time in balancing the boat as the men would lean too far, but we were all taken aboard the already crowded boats and in about half or thee quarters of an hour later we wee picked up by the
Carpathia. I have noticed Second Office Lightoller’s statement that J.B Thayer was on our overturned boat, which could give the impression that it was father, when he really meant it was I, as he only learned my name in a subsequent conversation on the
Carpathia and did not know I was “Junior”.
In a 1932 interview he mentioned Lightoller twice:
“All women were then ordered to the port side. My father and I said good-bye to mother and went back through the lounge to the starboard side. After some time elapsed we went to the port side to see if mother had gotten off in a boat. She had not as yet, so we went back into the lounge again, where we met second officer Lightoller. He directed us again to go to the port side to one of the forward boats.”
“There were about three or four men on that boat whom I afterwards found out wee a wireless operator, Second Officer Lightoller and I believe either the Chief Engineer or Captain Smith.”
In his 1940 book he mentioned Lightoller a couple of times:
(Relating to the light of the mystery ship):
“My Mother watched them for some time while on the port side, waiting to get into a life boat, and second officer Lightoller told me he was positive he saw them.”
“It must now have been about 1:50 A.M., and, as far as we knew, the last boat had gone. We were not aware of the fact that Second Office Charles Hebert Lightoller and some of the crew were working desperately on top of one of the deck houses to free and launch one of the four Engelhart Collapsible Engelhardt lifeboats.”
“Second officer Charles Lightoller, I discovered in the morning, was on board. He and some of the crew were trying to launch this boat before the “TITANIC” sank. They were unsuccessful, but she floated off the deck covered with people, all of whom were shortly after washed off. Lightoller himself was washed off and sucked up against one of the ventilator grills. He had a terrific struggle, but finally again was able to reach the boat. In August 1914, just as war was declared, I sailed on the S.S. “OCEANIC” form New York, to play cricket in and around London, on a Merrion Cricket Club team. Lightoller was either Chief officer or First Officer of the “OCEANIC”, I am not certain which. We again went over our experiences and checked our ideas of just what had happened, We agreed on almost everything, with the exception of the splitting or bending of the ship. He did not think it broke at all.”
“About six-thirty, after continued, and desperate calling, we attracted the attention of the other life boats. Two of them finally realized the position we were in and drew towards us. Lightoller had found his whistle, and more because of it than our hoarse shouts, their attention was attracted.”
and was there further contact between him and somebody maybe from 1st class?
Thayer remained friends with fellow survivor Richard Norris Williams (1891-1968), both men lived in Pennsylvania and both entered the baking world. In his book 1940 book Thayer called Richard:
"My good friend Richard Norris Williams"
As mentioned before above it seems that Lightoller and Thayer saw one another in person in August 1914 on-board the RMS Oceanic:
"In August 1914, just as war was declared, I sailed on the S.S. “OCEANIC” form New York, to play cricket in and around London, on a Merrion Cricket Club team. Lightoller was either Chief officer or First Officer of the “OCEANIC”, I am not certain which. We again went over our experiences and checked our ideas of just what had happened, We agreed on almost everything, with the exception of the splitting or bending of the ship. He did not think it broke at all.”
If you like I can collect all his statement on junior wireless operator Bride too.
The Thayers were well connected among the society, so I wonder if he [and his mother] continued a correspondence with other survivors.
I believe Mrs. Thayer remained in touch with her friends Elizabeth Mussey Eustis (1858-1936) and Martha Stephenson (1860-1934) (two sisters whom recalled her fondly in their own accounts).
And as indeed mentioned by Wednesday, White Star Line chairman Joseph Bruce Ismay (1862-1937) corresponded with Marian (he wrote letters to countless family members of both survivors, such as the Carter family, and victims (such as Francis Millet's brother, Thomas Andrews Jr his widow Helen "Nellie" Reilly Andrews to name a few) from May 1912 to August 1912 (I could be mistaken about the dates however)
But what do you mean with Ismay sending her „love letters“?
I personally believe these weren't love letters of any sort but more his attempts to ask for forgiveness over the loss she had experienced since he felt guilty for it. As mentioned before he wrote more letters to people relating to the disaster.
He was married to Julia Florence Schieffelin (1867-1963) from the 4th of December 1888 to his death.
I hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Thomas
