RMS Titanic - photos from R D Westy Legate archive

RMS Titanic - photos from the archive of R D Westy Legate, 4th officer of the CS Mackay-Bennett, a cable laying ship that took part in the recovery of over 300 bodies of those lost on the Titanic, including that of band leader Wallace Hartley. Material relating to the Mackay Bennett and this chapter in her history is extremely scarce. This archive comes directly from an officer on board during the Titanic recovery mission. One original photograph shows bodies of Titanic victims on the deck of the Mackay-Bennett, with Rev. Hind in the foreground conducting a burial service and crewmen consigning a body into the ocean. A canvas bag for body number 177 can be seen, relating to crewman William Peter Mayo, leading fireman. This photo illustrates the horrific conditions that would have been experienced on deck. Reverend Hind presided over 166 bodies buried at sea on board the Mackay-Bennett. He indicated that for each body, he would offer the same prayer: "For as much as it has pleased Almighty God to take unto Himself the soul of our dear brother departed, we therefore commit his body to the deep to be turned to corruption; looking for the resurrection of the body (when the sea shall give up her dead) and the life of the world come, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who shall change our vile body, that it may be like unto His glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself." Despite the number of bodies buried at sea, visual records of the burial and service, such as this photograph, are almost non-existent, even in period publications. Reverend Hind found it curious that White Star would have chartered the Mackay-Bennett to recover the bodies while not sending a company agent to accompany the vessel. This was the case for all the vessels chartered by the company for this purpose. 4.5 x 4 inches. The photograph is part of a period album of personal and other marine images. The archive includes two albums full of photographs, some of Legate himself, two in uniform

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