One of the more obscure but nevertheless interesting testimonies is by survivor Saloon Steward James Johnstone (referred to as 'James Johnson' in the Titanic Inquiry Project) during the British Inquiry. He stated that the 'boatswain' advised him to 'watch the star' while he, Johnstone, was working on Emergency Lifeboat 2, on which he was also rescued. The boatswain could only have been Alfred Nichols and since Lifeboat 2 was lowered at 01:45 am, Johnstone's statement is at odds with several accounts which believe that Nichols and his 6 assistants perished while they were trying to open a gangway door on the D-deck (or was it E-deck?) on the port side. Second Officer Lightoller is supposed to have given Nicholls an order to gather 6 sailors and go and open that gangway door at 1:05 am; the two men parted company and Lightoller later testified that he never saw Nichols again. It is from that statement, AFAIK, that the speculation about the fate of Nichols and his men developed and grew.
Therefore, I became interested in Johnstone's statement about the boatswain's 'star tip', especially when it was given. At the British Inquiry, Johnstone said:
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.
I believe there was only one boatswain on board the Titanic and that was Alfred Nichols. Looking at Johnstone's movements in various Titanic works, it appears that he arrived a bit early Lifeboat 2, probably around 01:25 am. He might even have been one of the crewmen who had jumped into the boat and were ordered out by Captain Smith. In any case, Johnstone remained, fitted the plug into the boat's floor and was then given some orders by Chief Officer Wilde. The boat was loaded with passengers before Boxhall finished with the rockets and arrived on the scene later.
My conjecture is that while the above activity was going on around Lifeboat 2, Nichols and his men returned from below decks, having found that opening any gangway doors was not a practical solution (which explains why no one on board Lifeboat 6, launched by Lightoller at 01:10 am, reported seeing an open gangway door on the port side). Nichols very likely dismissed his 6 men, whose identities we might never know. Nichols himself would have gone to the forward port boats (which is where Lightoller gave him the order) but it is very likely that by then the Second Officer had moved down to A-deck to begin his shenanigans with Lifeboat 4. In Lightoller's absence, Nichols would have reported to Wilde or Smith, both of whom were in the vicinity at the time. Looking at the timelines, it was very likely around 01:30 at the time and that was when Nichols probably encountered Johnstone, realized that the Saloon Steward was going on Lifeboat 2 and gave him the star tip.
After his encounter with Johnstone, Nichols very likely moved to the starboard aft part towards where Lifeboats 13 and 15 were about to be loaded. This ties in with the statement that Leading Fireman Fred Barrett made in an article in the Ulster Echo. Barrett was rescued on Lifeboat 13 and started that Nichols was helping with the loading and instructed Barrett to 'get into the boat and pull an oar'. Lifeboat 13 was lowered at around 01:40 am.
Back around lifeboat 2, Johnstone (who had received the 'star tip' from Nichols earlier) was still there when Boxhall arrived to take charge of the boat. Johnstone was also ordered in by Captain Smith and the boat was lowered at 01:45 am.
IMO therefore, it seems like Nichols both the star tip to Johnstone at around 01:30 am and the 'pull an oar' instruction to Barrett some 10 minutes later. That suggests that the boatswain and his men did not die trying to open the gangway door below decks.
Therefore, I became interested in Johnstone's statement about the boatswain's 'star tip', especially when it was given. At the British Inquiry, Johnstone said:
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.
I believe there was only one boatswain on board the Titanic and that was Alfred Nichols. Looking at Johnstone's movements in various Titanic works, it appears that he arrived a bit early Lifeboat 2, probably around 01:25 am. He might even have been one of the crewmen who had jumped into the boat and were ordered out by Captain Smith. In any case, Johnstone remained, fitted the plug into the boat's floor and was then given some orders by Chief Officer Wilde. The boat was loaded with passengers before Boxhall finished with the rockets and arrived on the scene later.
My conjecture is that while the above activity was going on around Lifeboat 2, Nichols and his men returned from below decks, having found that opening any gangway doors was not a practical solution (which explains why no one on board Lifeboat 6, launched by Lightoller at 01:10 am, reported seeing an open gangway door on the port side). Nichols very likely dismissed his 6 men, whose identities we might never know. Nichols himself would have gone to the forward port boats (which is where Lightoller gave him the order) but it is very likely that by then the Second Officer had moved down to A-deck to begin his shenanigans with Lifeboat 4. In Lightoller's absence, Nichols would have reported to Wilde or Smith, both of whom were in the vicinity at the time. Looking at the timelines, it was very likely around 01:30 at the time and that was when Nichols probably encountered Johnstone, realized that the Saloon Steward was going on Lifeboat 2 and gave him the star tip.
After his encounter with Johnstone, Nichols very likely moved to the starboard aft part towards where Lifeboats 13 and 15 were about to be loaded. This ties in with the statement that Leading Fireman Fred Barrett made in an article in the Ulster Echo. Barrett was rescued on Lifeboat 13 and started that Nichols was helping with the loading and instructed Barrett to 'get into the boat and pull an oar'. Lifeboat 13 was lowered at around 01:40 am.
Back around lifeboat 2, Johnstone (who had received the 'star tip' from Nichols earlier) was still there when Boxhall arrived to take charge of the boat. Johnstone was also ordered in by Captain Smith and the boat was lowered at 01:45 am.
IMO therefore, it seems like Nichols both the star tip to Johnstone at around 01:30 am and the 'pull an oar' instruction to Barrett some 10 minutes later. That suggests that the boatswain and his men did not die trying to open the gangway door below decks.
