Titanic Crew: Expected Duties and Unexpected Heroism

For some Titanic crew members, it was just another job in a long line of jobs at sea. The hours were long, the required effort was enormous, and the expectations were demanding. But the income was crucial to support themselves and, in many instances, their families.

For others, this was their first adventure working at sea, an amazing opportunity serving on the maiden voyage of the world’s largest and newest luxury liner. Even many of the experienced crew members were excited by being part of a maiden voyage. Whether they were part of the core of stokers and trimmers laboring in the bottom of the ship or part of the victualling crew preparing and serving delicious meals to the passengers, the crew members would do their duty on the Titanic and make the White Star Line proud.

For five days, the crew worked diligently to set tables, feed the passengers, clean their rooms, shovel coal into the furnaces, wash windows, run elevators, or operate the ship itself. They performed their duties as was expected of them. Little did anybody know that as midnight approached on the fifth day of the maiden voyage, the crew’s normal duties would dramatically shift to doing whatever they could to save the Titanic and its passengers.

In the face of death many acted unselfishly and bravely, and less than a quarter of them would survive. This is the story of the crew: the departments they worked in, the duties they performed, and the unexpected roles they had to play during the disaster. Their heroic actions must never be forgotten.