Hello there, I am sorry to revive an old thread. But instead of opening a new one, I thought I just post it here.
There has been a lot said about Murdochs relationship with his senior officers Lightoller, Smith and Wilde. But can anybody draw a conclusion about his relationship with the junior officers, especially since had more to do with them (Moody and Boxhall during his watch, and Lowe/Moody/Pitman during the evacuation)? I know he hasn't directly worked with Boxhall, pitman, Lowe and Moody before joining titanic, but has there been any hints how they thought of him during the few weeks they got to know him? During the inquiry Pitman emotionally recalled Murdochs "Goodbye-good luck" which he seemed to have taken to heart. Has there been any further indication by him or boxhall how they got along with him during the voyage? Especially Boxhall and Moody's impression are interesting, since they shared a watch with Murdoch. I find it heartbreaking to know that Boxhall is the only on-duty officer among the trio to survive the disaster, so his opinions are even more interesting.
On another note, I always wondered why the surviving officers were always so taciturn when it came to discribing details on their relationship with each other? Reading their testimonys and private letters I find it almost frustrating that they never responded in detail. It seemed as if they only ever responded to the literal question at hand instead of independently giving more depth and information beyond the question asked. For example, if someone asked them "Did Murdoch talk to you about the disaster?", their response would just be "Yes, he did/No, he didn't", without further additions of subjective impressions, feelings or how the conversation went on a more specific note. In comparison, if someone asked me a question regarding an incident, I always add all the information that I recall, even without the inquirer needing to ask for specifics. But with the officers, it is always hard to extract any personal undertones that lead to possible conclusions regarding their relationship. It's like wanting to drag all the details out of them. If you understand what I mean.
Thank you very much
