The Ship of Dreams

R.M.S. Titanic Officers

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       Captain Edward J. Smith
 
Titanic's maiden voyage was to be his final crossing of his career for the White Star Line.  He began his career as an apprentice on a clipper ship in 1869, he gradually worked his way up the ladder, joining White Star in 1880 as fourth officer on the old Celtic.  By 1887 he was captain of the Republic, and since then he had commanded no few than 17 White Star vessels.  All the times he honed the qualities that that made the trans-Atlantic captain such a unique breed.  He was a superb seaman.  In 1907, Smith told the New York Press:
 
    "When anyone asks me how I can best describe my experiences of nearly 40 years at sea, I merely say "uneventful." I have never been i n an accident of any sort worth speaking about.  I never saw a wreck and have never been wrecked, nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort."
 
    So, with his unblemished record, Smith was given command of the great new Olympic when she entered service in 1911.  She was nearly twice as big as any ship he had handled before.
 
    Early in 1912, Captain Smith was named to command the new and even bigger Titanic, flagship of the fleet.  He would take her over and back on her maiden voyage, and then retire.  He was now 59, and this would be a way of thanking him for his years of loyal service.
 

 
           My Thomas Andrews Page!
 

 
    Joseph Bruce Ismay
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    Chairman of the White Star Line at the time of the sinking. Ismay chose to go off on a lifeboat instead of staying aboard the ship.  Because of this, he was nicknamed by the public as J. BRUTE Ismay.  Never regaining his dignity, he retired as Chairman of the White Star Line on June 30, 1913, and began an ever -widening withdrawal from public life.    After the Titanic, Ismay never participated in public functions.  He amused himself by sitting on a park bench, chatting anonymously with down-and-outers.  He liked to watch passing parades, looking at them alone and lost in the crowd.  He died of a stroke at his home in London, October 17, 1937.
 

 
       John George Phillips, Senior Wireless
 
     First Wireless Operator of the R.M.S. Titanic.  Senior Marconi operator, he was 24 and was employed by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company, Ltd.  which provided wireless messages, free of charge, to the White Star Line.  Most famous for his line:
 
    "Shurt up, shut up, I"m busy, I'm working Cape Race." When the Californian tried to warn of approaching ice.
 
    Working to the very end, relaying details of the sinking ship, Phillips abandoned his post at 2:17 am.  He died on the Titanic.
 

 
       Harold Bride, Second Wireless Operator
 
    Harold Bride was Phillips assistant on the R.M.S. Titanic.  Bride took over when Phillips needed rest, the Titanic had a 24 hour wireless operation; especially for the numerous messages passengers wanted sent.  After abandoning the wireless room at 2:17am.  He clung with other passengers and Officer Lightoller on the capsized collapsible B, lifeboat, which was nearly missed by the forward funnel collapsing, which crushed a number of people.  He survived the disaster and helped relay the news on the  Carpathia.