Alfred Nichols

[Arun Vajpey]

Nichols and Haines were part of the deck crew department. The firemen, trimmers, greasers, engineers were part of the engineering department. I don't believe they would normally interact, but during an emergency, like manning some lifeboats, that might be different.

Thanks Sam. The reason that I asked was because of Leading fireman Barrett's claim that when he arrived on the A-deck just as Lifeboat #13 was ready to be lowered, he saw the Boatswain in charge, who then ordered Barrett to get into the lifeboat himself and 'pull an oar'. Of course, Alfred Nichols was the Titanic's only boatswain (apart from Thomas Sloan for the delivery trip) and his mate, Haines, had already left on Lifeboat #9. During his testimony Barrett only said that there was no officer in charge at Lifeboat #13 when he arrived (although he could hear one issuing orders above on the boat deck - probably Moody at Lifeboat #15) but did not specifically allude to Nichols; but the line of questioning did not require him to do so. However, on 30th April 1912 there appeared an article in Ulster Echo in which it was claimed that Barrett was ordered into Lifeboat #13 by the boatswain; I assumed that it must be true because it was (then) too trivial and innocuous a matter for anyone to make up.

But that begged the question of whether Leading Fireman Barrett could have recognized Boatswain Nichols by sight. Unlike Nichols, Barrett was not on the Olympic before the accident although he worked on board the sister ship afterwards. But they lived only 3 miles apart in Southampton and might have met in a pub or something before the voyage. Or, they might have sat at the same table or chatted whilst off duty on board the Titanic itself.

PS: Incidentally, in the ET article Whatever Happened to 'Big Neck' Nichols? by Brad Payne, there is allusion to the aforementioned Ulster Echo article. However, I strongly suspect that the insert picture of "Fred Barrett" therein is that of the other Fireman Frederick (William) Barrett, the one who died in the disaster.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Or, they might have sat at the same table or chatted whilst off duty on board the Titanic itself.

The deck crew's mess and firemen's mess were in different places. I doubt the two chatted.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

In Brad's article he points to night watchman Johnstone's answer about rowing back to the ship while in #2:

3511. Did you row back at all towards the wreck? - Well, the boatswain told us to keep a star and keep looking at this star and not to lose it, and keep within the vicinity of it.

and took this literally to mean that Nichols gave them that order before #2 was launched. From the context of the questioning it is clear that Johnstone was really talking about Boxhall, who took charge of #2, and was something they were told to do while in the boat. Johnstone was a steward, not a seaman. He certainly would not have much, if any, interaction with the deck crew or engineers. His reference to "boatswain" was to the person who was at the rudder of the boat. That would be Boxhall. Johnstone didn't know Boxhall's name or any of the officers by name. He even said so.

By the way, Lightoller's stories are riddled with more than a few inconsistencies, and everything he said, especially later in life, has to be carefully screened. In his book, Lightoller wrote this about the gangway doors being opened:

I got just on forty people into No 4 boat, and gave the order to “lower
away,” and for the boat to “go up to the gangway door” with the idea of
filling each boat as it became afloat, to its full capacity. At the same time
I told the Bosun’s Mate to take six hands and open the port lower-deck
gangway door, which was abreast of No. 2 hatch. He took his men and
proceeded to carry out the order, but neither he or the men were seen
again. One can only suppose that they gave their lives endeavouring to
carry out this order, probably they were trapped in the alley-way by a
rush of water, but by this time the fo’c’sle head was within about ten feet
of the water. Yet I still had hope that we should save her.

The Bosun’s Mate was Albert Haines, not Nichols, and Haines left in #9 and was clearing boats on the aft starboard side with McGough and Peters before going back to #9. Haines talked about Nichols missing his own boat #7 when he talked about coming back to #9 to take over charge of the boat from QM Wynn.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

In Brad's article he points to night watchman Johnstone's answer about rowing back to the ship while in #2:

3511. Did you row back at all towards the wreck? - Well, the boatswain told us to keep a star and keep looking at this star and not to lose it, and keep within the vicinity of it.

and took this literally to mean that Nichols gave them that order before #2 was launched. From the context of the questioning it is clear that Johnstone was really talking about Boxhall, who took charge of #2, and was something they were told to do while in the boat. Johnstone was a steward, not a seaman. He certainly would not have much, if any, interaction with the deck crew or engineers. His reference to "boatswain" was to the person who was at the rudder of the boat. That would be Boxhall. Johnstone didn't know Boxhall's name or any of the officers by name. He even said so.

I have read that article about Nichols by Brad Payne quite a few times and now almost have a built-in feeling about it. I strongly feel that in light Johnstone's overall testimony and the manner in which he spoke about Boxhall (albeit not actually naming him), I respectfully disagree with you that the steward actually meant the Fourth Officer when he mentioned the 'Boatswain'. I believe Brad was right in thinking that it was Boatswain Nichols who gave Johnstone that 'star tip' near Lifeboat #2; I also think that Brad needlessly doubted himself afterwards because the timeframes supposedly did not match. I think they do match but before we go into why I think so, I would like to look at the men involved.

Alfred Nichols was a larger than life Australian who came to settle in the UK while in his 20s and so would almost certainly still have had at least part of his 'Oz' accent by the time he sailed as the Titanic's Boatswain. That accent and his burly physique meant that Nichols had a presence and would have left an impression on most people he sailed with. James Johnstone might only have been a steward but like Nichols, had served on board the Olympic; but far more importantly IMO, both men were on board during the Titanic's delivery trip from Belfast to Southampton. That would have given the Scottish steward more than enough opportunity to be aware of the big Australian Boatswain, even if the two men had not sat across a table with a deck of cards.

I would like to pick out a few relevant excerpts from Johnstone's testimony at the British Inquiry, the only one where he was called-in as a witness.

3430. Were the crew mustering there at the boats?
- I think Mr. Wilde asked, "What boat do you belong to" I said, "No. 2." I am sure he had the list because he said, "That is right." He said, "Can you pull" I said, "Certainly." He said, "Stand by the falls."

3448. Was anybody else in the boat then?
- There was no one else then. Then the women and children got into it.

3449. Who put them in?
- The Chief Officer.

As we can see, Johnstone was clearly able to identify Chief Officer Wilde by both his name and rank and so even though he was 'only' a steward, he knew an officer when he saw one. And we know that Wilde was largely the man in charge of Lifeboat #2.

About Boxhall, Johnstone said:

3440. Was any Officer there?
- An Officer got into the boat afterwards. This man handed me a lamp out of the boat. I saw a lamp standing on the deck. It was ready-lit. I said, "It will be all right for us," so I stowed it in there.

3473. Was there an Officer in the boat?
- Yes.

3474. Who was he?
- I do not know his name; I should know him if I saw him.

3475. The Fourth Officer, was it not?
- I think it would be him.

3519. Was there any suggestion by anybody that you should go back in the boat?
- Yes; the Officer asked a question as to going back, but at that time we were just close to an iceberg, and the ladies said, "No," I think; they thought it was dangerous.

Again, although Johnstone did not name Boxhall as the man in charge of his boat, he referred to him as the "Officer" several times in his testimony, including in 3519 which was about going back to pick up more people out of the water. Therefore there is no reason IMO to think that Johnstone would have called Boxhall as the 'boatswain' only a few minutes earlier in 3511. In fact, elsewhere in his testimony stated that at various times a sailor or a 'girl' was in charge of the tiller of Lifeboat #2 and the Officer instructed the latter about what to do.

So, I feel that Johnstone's response to Question 3511 has to be viewed in the right perspective. I think the response there in past tense, in which case it takes a rather different meaning.

3511. Did you row back at all towards the wreck?
- Well, the boatswain (had) told us to keep a star and keep looking at this star and not to lose it, and keep within the vicinity of it

I think that it was Boatswain Nichols who had given Johnstone that star tip but I do not believe that it happened just before Lifeboat #2 was finally lowered at 01:45am but around 15 minutes earlier. That would have allowed Nichols to give Johnstone the star tip and then (probably on Smith's orders) to go across to the starboard side aft, soon to be seen and remembered by Leading Fireman Barrett on A-deck just as Lifeboat #13 about to be lowered.

Lightoller's stories are riddled with more than a few inconsistencies, and everything he said, especially later in life, has to be carefully screened

I would be the first one to agree to that sentiment but in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, Lightoller did actually testify about sending Nichols on that errand about opening gangway doors and so there is a good chance that it was the truth - at least for the most part. From what Lightoller said, it seems like he gave that order to the boatswain around 01:05am and the latter left immediately to carry it out. IMO, for the boatswain to muster about 6 men, take them below, check the wisdom of opening a gangway door on either the E-deck or D-deck, decide not to leave any open, return to the boat deck and disperse the men to other tasks would have taken the best part of 20 minutes. Only then could he have reported back and to do so he would have naturally gone to the spot where he received the order in the first place, the port side forward. But by then Lightoller would have been out of sight completing loading of Lifeboat #12 and given the darkness, size of the ship and intervening crowds in between, the two men would not have seen each other. Nichols would have reported to Smith, who was probably present when Lightoller had given the original order earlier.

While Nichols had been below decks with his men, Lifeboat #2 was briefly unattended while Captain Smith and the senior officers were away at the firearms meeting. We know that several stokers and other crew members got into the already swung out lifeboat, only to be ordered out by Captain Smith when he returned. Smith and then Wilde after the latter returned after supervising lowering of the port aft lifeboats started reloading Lifeboat #2 with passengers, and it would have been about then that Nichols returned from below to report. If the boatswain saw that Johnstone was one of the crew to go in Lifeboat #2, he could have given the steward the 'star tip' then - just after 01:30 am. That would have allowed Nichols to go to the starboard side aft (possibly on orders of Smith or Wilde), later to be seen by Leading Fireman Barrett on A-deck just as Lifeboat #13 was about to be lowered. Meanwhile, if Smith and Wilde had decided to get Boxhall - who was still firing rockets - to take charge of Lifeboat #2, it would explain why the Fourth Officer never saw Nichols in that area and also why #2 was not lowered till 01:45am.

After he lowered Lifeboat #12 at 01:30am, the easiest route for Lightoller to take to get to Lifeboat #4 (avoiding going through the crowds on the boat deck) on A-deck would have been down the stairs past the deck chair storage area and moving forward. If he indeed took that route, it could explain why he did not see Nichols then or later.

 

[Thomas Krom]

There is also another survivors account of a surviving fireman that mentions Nichols by name and even recalled one of his heroic actions. The account of Fireman Alfred John Alexander Podesta (1887-1968) which was released in an article of the Echo (which was released posthumously 2 weeks after his death) stated as followed:

Then the bo’sun came to our door (his name was Nichols) and he shouted ‘Get your lifebelts and man your boats’ I knew this was going to happen.
“He was very pale and his lips were in a twitter. He had several ABs with him I heard he was on his way to the fore-peak to get a gangplank as they thought the Olympic was going to reach us”

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Thanks Thomas. But wouldn't that have been in the earlier stages after the collision and Nichols would have been seen and heard like any other senior crew member? Symons saw and worked with Nichols during the loading and launching of Lifeboats #3 and #1 - of course Symons himself went on Lifeboat #1. It is after Lightoller supposedly sent Nichols on that Gangway Door errand - probably at around 01:05 am - that the boatswain's fate became uncertain. AFAIK, there have been only two mentions of the "Boatswain" after that timeframe; the first was by the aforementioned single quote by Steward James Johnstone about the "star tip" and IMO that would have been around 01:30am. The other was of course the encounter by Barrett near Lifeboat #13 on the A-deck some 10 minutes later.

Although a saloon steward (and hence belonging to the victualling department), Johnstone was with Nichols on the Olympic as well as on the delivery trip of the Titanic itself from Belfast to Southampton. That meant that he had a very good chance of knowing the big Aussie on sight. But how leading Fireman Barrett could have recognized Nichols is more difficult to conjecture because the former was not on the Olympic till after the Titanic sank and joined the latter ship only in Southampton. The only possible explanation is that they might have met somewhere in Southampton - probably a popular sailors' pub or something - before the voyage. They lived only 3 miles apart in the months before the trip.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

BI 3511 was a question that had had to do with rowing back to the wreck after they came around the stern. That decision was up to Boxhall. You are the one interjecting the word "had." That question was put to him a day after all the other questions. The context is clearly in reference to events while in the boat. Look at the entire sequence:

3509. Now, Mr. Johnson, you told us you rowed away and came back again. Did you see the “Titanic” sink? - I saw her go down.
3510. How far off were you from her then in your boat? - It might have been three-quarters of a mile, or it might have been a little bit less.
3511. Did you row back at all towards the wreck? - Well, the boatswain told us to keep a star and keep looking at this star and not to lose it, and keep within the vicinity of it.
3512. Keep within the vicinity of what? - Of the star, underneath it rather.
3513. Did you go back towards the wreck at all? - Well, we might have pulled a little bit back. When we were all quiet he said, “Listen,” and what we heard was the swish of the water against another iceberg.

The last reference to "he" clearly refers back to the person who told them to keep looking at this star.
And here is the proof:

3538. What did you do then, did you lie on your oars or row, or do what after it was all over, you know? - We did not row, we kept round the vicinity of the boat; we never rowed after we came round astern; we lay still and the officer told us to keep our eye on this star.

Now do you still think is was Nichols who had told them to keep an eye on this star?

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Now do you still think is was Nichols who had told them to keep an eye on this star?

I see your point Sam, but I still cannot believe that Johnstone referred to Boxhall as "boatswain" and "Officer" in the same breath; it simply does not make any sense, even for a steward. Johnstone came across as a reasonably intelligent man from his overall testimony.

Therefore, the possible explanation could be (and I accept that this is a conjecture) that both of them had mentioned the star to Johnstone and a few others. The keyword in 3511 could be "us" of "the boatswain told us". If Nichols had mentioned the star to Johnstone and others earlier while Lifeboat #2 was being reloaded and Boxhall had not yet arrived, and if one of them later mentioned it after the Fourth Officer took charge, he could have taken that as a cue and with his navigational experience, considered it as a good point.

In any case, my bigger issue - as I mentioned in post #16 - was if and how Barrett could have recognized Nichols at Lifeboat #13. He had already stated that there was no officer there at that point.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

In any case, my bigger issue - as I mentioned in post #16 - was if and how Barrett could have recognized Nichols at Lifeboat #13. He had already stated that there was no officer there at that point.

A newspaper article said he was ordered into the lifeboat by the boatswain to pull an oar. Perhaps when telling the story, Barrett told that tidbit so that he doesn't come across as an opportunist who decided to save himself by jumping into the boat at the last minute?

 

[Arun Vajpey]

A newspaper article said he was ordered into the lifeboat by the boatswain to pull an oar. Perhaps when telling the story, Barrett told that tidbit so that he doesn't come across as an opportunist who decided to save himself by jumping into the boat at the last minute?

OK, but could Barrett have jumped unnoticed into Lifeboat #13 at the last moment? It had been lowered to A-deck to complete loading and final lowering and so someone must have been in charge there. Barrett testified that there was no Officer on A-deck at the time but also told the Ulster Echo that the boatswain was in charge and told him to get into Lifeboat #13. If Barrett had simply snuck into Lifeboat #13 at the last moment, why would he have made-up a story about the boatswain etc which (for all he knew) might have later been refuted by someone else? Considering the situation that prevailed at the time, if he wanted to Barrett could have got away with any old story about getting into a lifeboat.

As far as we can make out, almost at the same moment as Lifeboat #13 started to finally lower onto the sea, Lifeboat #15 was lowered to the A-deck to complete loading. Fireman George Beauchamp, also rescued on Lifeboat #13, said that there was an Officer in charge on the boat deck before it was lowered to the A-deck; that tied-in with what Barrett testified - to have heard (but not seen) an officer on the boat deck when he arrived on the A-deck. Finally, Bathroom Steward Samuel Rule said that he went down the stairs from boat deck to the A-deck just as Lifeboat #15 was lowered one deck level to complete the loading; that happened moments after Lifeboat #13 started to finally lower. Arriving on the A-deck, Rule said that "someone" was in charge there, someone whom he did not think was an officer.

Those various statements strongly suggest that by the time (about 01:40 am) Lifeboat #13 started to lower to the sea and Lifeboat #15 was lowered to the A-deck to complete its loading, a senior crew member who was not an officer was in charge on A-deck. But there was still an officer on the boat deck and IMO that could only have been Moody. Murdoch very likely had just crossed over to the port side and Lifeboat #10 and he would not have done so without leaving someone reliable in charge. So, who was this "someone" in charge that Rule alluded to? It could only have been McElroy or Nichols and since Barrett did mention the boatswain, we have to at least consider that the man might have been Nichols.

Since this thread is about Nichols and the real object of my interest is his fate that night, I'm going to turn the question around to you, Sam. What do you think happened to Boatswain Nichols? Do you believe the 'traditional' story that he and his men were overcome by flooding while trying to open a gangway door? I find that very hard to believe that ALL 6 or 7 tough, professional seamen could have risked themselves in such a manner so that no one knew what happened to them. Even if they had tired to carry out Lightoller's order, they would have done so with life vests on; so, even if all of them had fallen onto the sea, surely someone in Lifeboat #8 or #6 would have noticed it within minutes, considering the very calm sea? AFAIK, no one in either of those lifeboats mentioned an open gangway door, which would have made a well lit large rectangle against a dark background.

PS: I am unable to open that png attachment of your post #25. Is there any other version that can be posted?

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Here is that diagram I tried posting earlier.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Do you believe the 'traditional' story that he and his men were overcome by flooding while trying to open a gangway door?

No, not at all.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

No, not at all.

I thought so, thanks. I am willing to accept that Johnstone's sighting of Nichols might be questionable but since most contemporary analysts now believe that the big boatswain (and his men) did not perish trying to open any gangway door, the question remains as to what Nichols actually did after, say, 01:15am and how he eventually met his end. Since Lightoller did not see Nichols again and Lifeboats #16, #14 and probably #12 were launched by the time the boatswain got back onto the boat deck, IMO the most logical place he would have gone would have been to the starboard side aft. If he had indeed done so, by then Murdoch, Moody and McElroy very likely had launched Lifeboat #11 and were working on Lifeboats #13 and #15.

A newspaper article said he was ordered into the lifeboat by the boatswain to pull an oar. Perhaps when telling the story, Barrett told that tidbit so that he doesn't come across as an opportunist who decided to save himself by jumping into the boat at the last minute?

Yes, at first glance Barrett's sighting might seem rather vague and one-off but if we go by probabilities, it does tally with the above. There is uncertainty about how at least some surviving crewmen - deck, engineering or victualling - got into their lifeboats and indeed in some cases the number of the boat itself. If a crew member claimed that Wilde, Murdoch, Moody or even Captain Smith himself ordered them into a particular lifeboat, there is no way that statement can be verified and most survivors would have known that by the time the Carpathia reached New York on 18th April 1912. Therefore, Fred Barrett had the option to make-up any old story about his survival and since he was saved on a relatively late lifeboat like #13, it would have been even harder to verify. Barrett knew that none of the senior crew in charge of Lifeboats #13 and #15 survived and so if he had claimed that Moody specifically ordered him to Lifeboat #13, we would never have found out differently. Therefore, even if it was to a newspaper only, we cannot dismiss outright Barrett's claim that he met Nichols on A-deck at Lifeboat #13 just as it was about to be lowered and it was the boatswain who ordered Barrett into the boat. In view of the fact that Barrett testified that he could hear an officer (Moody) on the boat deck but there was none on A-deck, something that ties-in with Murdoch having crossed over to Lifeboat #10 means that the Leading Fireman's statements bear at least some consideration.

 

[Samuel Halpern]

One of the things I learned many years ago is that there will more than just a few stories that we will never know all the answers to. But from I've been able to figure out, Nichols spent a good amount of time getting the boats outs, was seen and reported on the starboard side involved in loading and launching the forward starboard boats, and was apparently seen aft on the starboard side at #9 when Haines came back to take charge of the boat. He may have been forward at #4 or #6 early, and Lightoller's story may have some truth to it, but Lightoller assumed the worst because he didn't see him anytime after that, and Nichols didn't bother to report back to Lightoller. I think it was you (?) who speculated that Wilde may have seen Nichols and his men going below, and asked where they were headed. He could easily haver countermanded Lightoller's orders, and told him to take the men and go about getting all the boats out, especially those starboard side aft, and worry about gangway doors later. I know from Scarrott that it was Nichols who directed him and others to the aft starboard boats, and was redirected later on by Wilde, that he, Scarrott, should go to his own boat, which was #14.

 

[Arun Vajpey]

Lightoller's story may have some truth to it, but Lightoller assumed the worst because he didn't see him anytime after that, and Nichols didn't bother to report back to Lightoller.

I agree with that but in fairness to Nichols, might he have had trouble locating Lightoller when he wanted to report back? After 01:00 am, the boat deck was getting increasingly crowded and noisy and the crew tasks were becoming more urgent. Like you say below, Wilde or Captain Smith could have countermanded Lightoller's order but during the loading and launching of the port aft lifeboats, Wilde might not have had the opportunity to update Lightoller about it while all of them had other things to attend to. If, as I believe that he was, Nichols was working mainly on the starboard side aft after he parted company with Lightoller, the two men could easily have kept missing each other on the dark and crowded deck.

I think it was you (?) who speculated that Wilde may have seen Nichols and his men going below, and asked where they were headed. He could easily haver countermanded Lightoller's orders, and told him to take the men and go about getting all the boats out, especially those starboard side aft, and worry about gangway doors later.

I don't think it was me - at least I don't recall speculating so. What I did feel was that when Nichols could not find Lightoller to report back, he might have done do so to Wilde.....or even Captain Smith.