Digby County and the Titanic Disaster...

Question: What do the sinking of the Titanic and Digby County have in common?

Answer: The rescue ship, Carpathia's Chief Officer was Thomas W. Hankinson.

Thomas William Hankinson, born 1857, was a native of Weymouth, Nova Scotia. He commenced his seafaring career in sailing ships belonging to Nova Scotia firms. In 1887 he went to Liverpool, England and served some years with the Allan Line, and in early 1895 joined the Cunard Line as fourth officer of the Servia, subsequently serving as a junior officer in the liners Aurania, Povonia, Lucania, and also as First Officer of the Servia. In 1911 he obtained his first command with the company that of master of the steamer Lycia, engaged in the service to Mediterranean ports, and later in the same year command of the steamer Cypria also in this trade. He joined the R.N.R. as a sub lieutenant in 1891{?}, and on the outbreak of war served in the Cunard liner Carminia, which was at that time an auxiliary cruiser, And it will be remembered fought the famous battle with the German armed merchant cruiser Cape Trafalgar. Later in the war Commander Hankinson was stationed at Scapa Flow, in charge of drifters. At the conclusion of hostilities, he rejoined the Cunard Line, in May 1919, as Chief Officer of the Caronia, and later as Chief Officer of the Carmania, subsequently retiring from active service in November, 1920.

Commander T. W. Hankinson, R.D.R.N.R, after a comparatively short illness, passed away at his home in Great Crosby, in his 79th year, May, 1936. Prior to his retirement from the Cunard Line service in November 1920, he had served as a commander and officer with the company for over a quarter of a century.