Boat 2

[Delia Mahoney]

Hello,
I have a little question. Does anybody know who was loading officer in this boat? I can't find reply.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

2nd Officer Lightoller described how he jumped into this boat brandishing an empty revolver and drove out the men who had boarded it, then had difficulty finding sufficient women and children "who were willing to go and leave others behind". When it was lowered, 4th Officer Boxhall was in command.

 

[Bill Wormstedt]

Officer Wilde was at least one of the officers loading #2, according to testimony by Boxhall and Steward Johnson. Since Boxhall was ordered off in #2 by Captain Smith, he probably also was in the area.

Seaman Osman said the Chief Officer "Murdoch" was at #2, however, Boxhall was very specific that Murdoch was not. I think Osman got the Chief Officer part right, but was wrong about it being Murdoch.

Bob G. - can you point me to the Lightoller testimony you mention? Thanks.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Not sworn testimony, Bill - that's the way he described the incident in his memoirs, which as you know are somewhat more colourful.

 

[Bill Wormstedt]

Ah, thanks, Bob. I do recall, off the top of my head, that in his sworn testimony he wasn't very specific as to which boat was which - the second boat he worked on, the third, the fourth.

Anyway, now I can check out the source. I didn't recall any sworn testimony that specifically places Lightoller at #2.

 

[Manuel Reiprich]

Another question about Nr. 2:
Was there a men who jumped into Nr. 2 when it was lowered? I read it somewhere but I'm not sure. It was a member of the crew,a cook, I think.

Best regards
Manuel

 

[Chris Dohany]

The only jumper for No. 2 that I recall was Anton Kink, a 3rd class passenger. Kink had placed his wife and daughter into the boat but was told to stand back. As No. 2 began lowering Kink rushed past the men holding the crowd back and jumped into the boat.

I believe the cook was in the boat from the start.

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

Does anyone know why boat 2 was lowered to the sea so very late in the sinking? I mean, it was close to other early boats like 6 and 8, so, why didn't the crew prepared it to be launched at once? I was wondering if Lightoller was worried to lower the stern boats first...

Regards for all, João

 

[Bob Godfrey]

The crew were working against time, so their priority was to get the full-sized lifeboats away. The two emergency boats 1 and 2 were not lifeboats, and though on that occasion they were used as such they had a much smaller life-saving capacity. But they couldn't, of course, leave them till last, as the collapsibles needed to use the same sets of davits.

 

[João Carlos Pereira Martins]

Thanks very much, Bob. That's logical!

 

[Jonathan Girard]

Hello everybody, I have some questions about lifeboat 2...I'm writing a novel about a fictionnal first class party and my principal character left the ship aboard lifeboat 2. What was the way of lifeboat 2? I've already read that it was the lifeboat, in Cameron's Titanic, who was under Titanic Stern? What was true? And if yes, why did the lifeboat goes under the stern?

Sorry for my english, my native language is french

 

[Samuel Halpern]

Hello Jonathan:

Lifeboat No. 2 left with 4th officer Boxhall put in charge about 1:45 AM. Here is what Mr. Boxhall in a 1959 radio broadcast said about it:

"And about that time the captain came across the bridge and said, “Mr. Boxhall, you go away in that boat,” pointing to the Port Emergency Boat number two. And he said, “Now hurry up Mr. Wilde is waiting to lower it.” ... I tumbled into this lifeboat and we got lowered down. I found that I only had three of the ship’s crew: a steward, a cook, and a sailor. She was being lowered very slowly, she wouldn’t run, until you helped the falls, and eventually became water borne. I tried to count the passengers but it was difficult as they didn’t speak English, you see. And I reckon I had between thirty, about, around about thirty on board the boat. And the captain looked over the side from the bridge and sang out and said, ...go round to the Starboard side to the gangway doors, which was practically at the opposite side to where I was lowered. I had great difficulty in getting the boat around there...I was using the stroke oar standing up and there was a lady helping, she was steering the boat around the ship’s stern. When I passed ‘round the boat to try and get to this gangway door on the Starboard side her propellers were out of water. I’m not certain if I didn’t pass underneath them."

 

[Jonathan Girard]

Thanks a lot. It would help me a lot...But, I think Boxhall was mistaken no? Lifeboat 2 have only 18 people, not thirty...Anyway, thanks you again Samuel and I wish you a merry Christmas

 

[Samuel Halpern]

It was difficult to count people in the dark. He probably double counted some people.

Merry Christmas Jonathan.

 

[robert mitchell]

I've a query regarding this boat and wonder if anyone can supply any information.

According to several books (including Gracie's) an old man was helped into this boat with his family. Gracie identified them as Mr Brahim Youssef, his wife Hanne, and daughter Marion and son Georges.

For some reason. However, they are not listed on any of the passenger lists on this website or wikipedia's. They are listed as passengers/survivors in Robin Gardiner's and Gracie's books however.

Am I missing something here? I know there are people missing from wikipedia's passenger list (ie mrs flagenheim and gilbert tucker) and crew list( stewards wheelton, wheat and some stewardesses like stap and slocombe). Is this another example of this?

What's the consensus of opinion on this?