Thank you for this Jim - so good to read some logical, intelligent and informed common sense here, instead of emotional wailings from people who have probably know very little about the pas
Thank you Jude for your answer and sweet words ; however, my view is that there is here some people who are judging others without either knowing their backgrounds nor answering it before giving such an view which they think it to be so worthless while being in fact quite useless. For appreciation of those, I would allow myself to let them know that I have a MA in History and consider myself as Historian. A scientific methodology which I have long since learned, taught me which books are serious enough to be read -- unfortunately Jude's never crossed my way.
Next, pardon me if I didn't put my "scientific Historian Suit" for writing here about Lightoller, however I didn't know we were on the Forum of "History Today" and that some people here were part of the publishing Board ! I thought that we were rather on a friendly forum were we can put our "human suit" to write some personal views, sometimes ; a place where we are not judged. Sorry for this misunderstanding of this Forum. My mistake.
That being said, let's get back to Lightoller.
As almost everybody had seen here, it was my view as human being. But here is something that will please the so call "Publishing Board" ( everybody had understood I am ironic, right ??

) I have read a Research in one of the Psychology Reviews (maybe "Psychology Today", as far as I can remember) and that said that when someone is in a situation which put his / her life is in danger, this is the medial temporal lobe that is in command (part of the Limbic system) and it takes a good deal of blood amount to function, letting other parts with less blood -- which include the front part of the brain. The front part is what make us human, with our cleverness and common sense (compared with animals which has that part of the brain less prominent and far more less developed, as you can notice seeing a cat, a bird, a dog or whatever can cross your path. As example, a spider has 27 brain cells and a human being has 27... billions -- the majority are in the front part). So the hypothesis of the Author was that that being so, when human being experimented fear for his life for a long period (and we are all agree that 2 hours and 40 minutes is a very long period of time) that one becomes dummy, and the author do gave the example of one being lost at sea and drinking water while perfectly knowing that it is a dangerous behavior. Therefore, we can infer that this is what happened to Lightoller, who lost his commons sense, opening doors when the ship was sinking. For that we cannot really blame him for his queer behavior. However, on the other side, we can make of us the Devil's Advocate and suggest that Murdoch was in the same situation as he was, but nevertheless did better than his colleague. I heard a TITANIC's expert who dived to the wreck saying that Murdoch tried to the very end to save passengers, and lost his life doing it, along with Moody, for we still can see today a davit being retract again, ready for the A boat -- and that's where Lightoller would have seen them being swept away by a big wave when the ship tipped over. Lightoller, on the contrary, didn't even tried to get to Moody and Murdoch and helped them out to carry their project (and I know that some of you will say "Murdoch shot himself !" but I am very dubious about that hypothesis : for me it is more logical that Wilde shot himself, especially after reading the interview of his great nephew -- but that's another matter that we can't debate here) and simply choose to leave and starting swimming toward the Crow's Nest, preferring finding a way to save his own life.
Lightoller appeared to me to be a very selfish guy and so vain, basis on the answer he gave to Pitman ("yes evidently") when the third officer asked him what have happened. My view is that this answer was so patronizing, like "I am the Second Officer ; you're only the Third ; you're dum ; I am much more clever !" He seemed to be the kind of lad you shouldn't contradict if you don't want trouble. The attitude of someone tells a lot about that one, even thought he's been dead a long time. And his heir seems to be the same today.
That was my view on that matter. But unlike some person, I don't mind to be wrong. When it is suitable, I can objectively take another view when it is appropriate. This is what we call to be scientific : nothing is cast in stone, and that's how the Humanity moves forward.
