White Star Line, RMS Olympic, Chief Officer Wilde letter

White Star Line, RMS Olympic, handwritten letter from Chief Officer Wilde on board Olympic dated 15th August 1911 from New York, complete with original envelope bearing the rare on board Post Office Franking Transatlantic Post Office No. 5. Henry Tingle Wilde, Chief Officer of RMS Titanic RNR (21 September 1872 - 15 April 1912), became Chief Officer of Titanic's sister, RMS Olympic, where he served under Titanic's future captain, Edward J. Smith. Wilde was scheduled to leave Southampton on Olympic on 3 April 1912, but a reshuffle on board the Titanic caused the lowering of rank of William McMaster Murdoch and Charles Lightoller to First and Second Officer, respectively, with Second Officer David Blair being removed from the ship entirely. On the ship's sailing day, 10 April 1912, Wilde reported for duty at 6am. Around the time of departure he was assisting Lightoller in casting off mooring ropes and securing tug lines. After the ship was put to sea, Wilde worked the 2-6 watches. At 1140pm on 14 April the ship hit an iceberg. Immediately after the collision, Wilde moved forward to inspect the forepeak and see the flooding for himself. He then came back to the bridge to make a report just before the carpenter arrived. The two reports seem to have convinced Smith that the ship was sinking. While Murdoch was in charge of the evacuation of the starboard boats, with Lightoller for the port side, it appears that Wilde supervised the overall process. He delayed launching the lifeboats and allowed himself twice to be overridden by Lightoller going to Captain Smith. In the ensuing evacuation, Wilde helped in the loading of Lifeboats 8, 14, 12, 16, 2, and 10. He took charge of filling and lowering the even-numbered lifeboats on the port side and also gave firearms to both Lightoller and First Officer Murdoch. As they left the cabin, Lightoller heard Wilde say I am going to put on my lifebelt'. By 1.40am most of the port lifeboats had been lowered, and Wilde moved to the starboard side. Steward James Johnston and Fourth Officer Boxhall saw Wilde putting women and children into lifeboat 2 and superintending the filling. At 10, Chief Baker Charles Joughin saw Wilde conducting affairs, shouting at the stewards to keep a large number of passengers gathered back. When the boat was full, Wilde then picked out the men to take charge of it: two sailors and a steward. Ismay testified that Wilde was the officer who was in charge of collapsible C. At D, Wilde told Lightoller, "You go with her, Lightoller." Lightoller said, "Not damned likely!" and jumped back on the ship in defiance of Wilde's order. Wilde died in the sinking, his body was never recovered. An account in the Cornish Post of 2 May 1912 claimed that Wilde was last seen on the bridge smoking a cigarette, and that he waved goodbye to Lightoller as the ship sank. Lightoller himself made no mention of this in his account

Account Allowed Appears Assisting Carpenter Casting Caused Claimed Collapsible Collision Conducting Convinced Damned Defiance Delayed Departure Ensuing Entirely Envelope Evacuation Filling Flooding Franking Handwritten Heard Helped Iceberg Immediately Inspect Ismay Johnston Jumped Launching Lifebelt Lifeboat Lifeboats Lightoller Likely Lowered Lowering Mcmaster Mention Mooring Moved Murdoch Numbered Overall Picked Rank Recovered Removed Reported Reports Reshuffle Respectively Ropes Sank Scheduled Securing Seem Southampton Starboard Steward Stewards Superintending Supervised Testified Tingle Titanics Told Transatlantic Twice Waved Wildes

Features In These Collections

> Contributors > HAL