Trimmer

[patricia ann bailey]

Hi can anyone please tell me the job of a Trimmer on board a ship my G G G uncle James Whittaker was a trimmer on the Carpathia and was one of the crew the night the Titanic sank

 

[Dave Gittins]

Trimmers shovelled coal from the coal bunkers and brought it in wheelbarrows to the firemen, who shovelled it into the furnaces. The trimmers had the job of seeing that the coal in the bunkers was properly distributed to keep the ship on an even keel. (Hence "trimmers") The job could be dangerous in a rough sea, as the coal could move and maybe fall on somebody.

I don't want to upset you, but James Whittaker is listed as a deserter on Carpathia's crew list.

 

[patricia ann bailey]

Hi Dave thanks for your interesting reply. I know that James Whittaker eventually married and settled in his native Liverpool, was active in the RAOB in Huyton and worked as Head porter at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool. I did not know however that he was a deserter! That is not given in the crew list information. Where do I find this please?

 

[Dave Gittins]

The crew list is on this site, or was at the time I saved it. It's also in The Titanic's Rescuers by Brian Ticehurst. Quite a number of Carpathia's crew deserted in New York, having used the ship to get there.

 

[patricia ann bailey]

Hi Dave I have found List of crew who deserted the Carpathia on 11/4/1912 in New York. There were 34 deserters. James Whittaker was not one of them. He was on the Carpathia the night Of the disaster

 

[Dave Gittins]

Patricia, what's your source? It's not like Brian T to get it wrong.

 

[patricia ann bailey]

Hi Dave
This is the reference I have found, described as 'Crew List of Steamship Carpathia
April 15, 1912' http://www.istrianet.org/istria/navigation/sea/titanic/carpathia-crew.htm.
It's a long list and the crew member immediately following Whittaker is posted as a deserter.

I hope this is useful.

 

[Brian J. Ticehurst]

Patricia and Bob - Hi I am afraid Mr. James Whittaker is listed as a deserter but . . . .
The Official Carpathia Log Book No. 6. / No. 1 Board of Trade number 100/156 8437 consisting of 46 pages for 377 men covers the period from when the Carpathia set off from Liverpool on 10th February 1912 until she returned to Liverpool on 1st January 1913.
The handwritten entry Entry number 108 shows ''Whittaker James'' Deserted.
All this means is that he did not sign off at the end of the Voyage and had deserted at some time previous to the 1st January 1913.
He was most probably aboard the Carpathia during the rescue and deserted (not an unusual happening in those days) some time later.
Best regards

Brian
PS Do you know if he was presented with a Carpathia medal?

 

[patricia ann bailey]

Hi Brian Thankyou for the helpful information.I will try to find more information from James family.Best Wishes Pat

[Moderator's Note: This thread, originally placed in the "Aftermath" topic, has been moved to this pre-existing subtopic addressing related issues. MAB]

 

[rosban]

dear all

my uncle thomas banner born 1892 in crosby livwerpool was a trimmer on board the carmania which sailed into new york I can only find that he did two trips arriving 24th june 1920 and 1st march 1820 I cannot find anything else about him I know he died in 1940 when he was 47 yrs old in liverpool

by the way my granddad john sharkey from ireland was on the leusatania when she went down by the coast of ireland he was a stoker and came from liverpool although he could not swim and all his mates said they would save him he was the only one that survived out of the group of them because they went back to look for the gold that they thought was on the ship b ut of course she sank very quickly he never really talked about it just about seeing all the dead babies floating in the sea


yours sincerley rose banner

 

[stephen mabey]

my great grandad and his brother and step brother where all on board , my great grand dad lost his brother but he and his brother in law survived
Albert Sylvanus Hunt : Titanic Survivor