Page 82 - British Inquiry into Loss of RMS Titanic Day 1 - 5

any drill. 1061. That is not quite what I want to know whether you went to drill. I will ask you about that directly. What I want to know is whether you had any station to which you were to go? - Not that I am aware of, no. The Commissioner: I am getting a little in confusion. I have written down, “I was stationed to one of the emergency boats.” The Attorney-General: He did say so, my Lord. 1062. (The Commissioner.) Am I to understand you were not stationed to any boat? - I had no proper station. I had no station to go to on paper that I was notified where to go on a station. 1063. What did you mean by saying just now, “I was stationed to one of the emergency boats”? - One of the Quartermasters was at the wheel at that particular time and it would be my duty to go there and fill his vacancy during his absence at the wheel. 1064. (The Attorney-General.) It would be the duty of the two Quartermasters to go to the two emergency boats. Is that right? - Yes. 1065. What he means is that if the Quartermaster was on duty, and somebody had to go to the emergency boat it would be his duty to act as one of those Quartermasters. Is that right? - Yes. 1066. But to which of the two boats, whether it was port or starboard there were no orders? - No orders. 1067. Did you see the lists of the stations for the boats on board? - No. 1068. If I understand you correctly, your name would not be on the list, would it? - Not that I am aware of. 1069. You would not have any cause to look at the list for yourself? - I have never seen any list put up anywhere. The usual thing is to have the fire and boat stations marked on a sheet of paper and put up for everyone to see, but I did not see it. 1070. (The Commissioner.) I should like to have this clear. Would your name be on such list? - Certainly, my Lord, in boat stations. 1070a. I rather understood you to suggest that it would not. 1071. (The Attorney-General.) I did. I understood from him that it would not, because it would depend whether he was on duty or not. (To the Witness.) I understood you to say that you would not expect to find your name on the list of stations. Is that right? - No, Sir. I did not mean that at all. 1072. Tell us what you mean about it. - In every ship that I have been in we always have had every Quartermaster, or whatever he may be, seaman, fireman, steward, always have their boat stations, and they would have a proper muster every Saturday or whenever it may be - it lies at the Captain’s discretion whenever he liked to give us a drill, and everybody is mustered in front of their boats, but I never saw it like that on the “Titanic.” 1073. That means you never saw a muster? - No. 1074. Where did you join the “Titanic”? - Southampton. 1075. How long before the vessel sailed? - Four days. 1076. Do you remember the day of the week that you went on board of her? - I think the first day when we dressed ship. 1077. What day was that, do you remember? - I think it was Good Friday, holiday time. 1078. Then from that time until the collision occurred had you any boat drill at all? - I did not see any; they might have had when it was my duty off. We Quartermasters were keeping gangways in harbour. 1079. You, personally, had not had any; is that right? - That is quite right. 1080. Whether the others had or not you do not know? - That is right. 1081. They might have had without your knowing it? - That is right.