Titanic Crew

There were over 900 of a crew on board Titanic, ranging from the officers who took command of the various watches or shifts right down to glass washers and galley staff. In between were engineers, deck staff, pursers, stewards, restaurant staff and postal staff. Just over two hundred crew members survived the Titanic disaster.

Senior Crew Onbaord the Titanic

At the top of the tree, directly under Captain Edward J Smith were the Chief Officer, Henry Wilde and First Officer, William Murdoch. Murdoch was on duty when Titanic struck the iceberg. Wilde and Murdoch were experienced officers; Wilde had been in charge of Titanic’s sister ship, Olympic before being moved to be chief officer of Titanic’s maiden voyage. The Captain, Wilde and Murdoch were all lost in the disaster and their bodies were not recovered. The most senior crew member to survive was second officer, Charles Lightoller. He got away from the sinking ship in one of the collapsible Englehardt life rafts.

Staff & Crew Onboard the Titanic- Keeping the ship on the move

Those responsible for actually making the ship move were on the next rung of the ladder in the ship’s crew hierarchy. They included assistant engineers, deck engineers and the engine room crew who stoked the boilers, brought the coal to the engine room and kept the fires lit. An assistant deck engineer would earn between £9 and £10 per month.

Feeding the Passengers

Next were the victualling department including bakers, butchers, cooks, porters, pantrymen and storekeepers. The job of keeping over a thousand titanic passengers fed and looked after fell to this department. Working alongside were the restaurant staff including stewards, waiters and wine waiters. Many of these staff were Italian and few lived to tell of their experiences. For first class passengers, White Star aimed to provide the same standards of service as the best Parisian restaurants so those serving in the first class restaurant would be experienced and highly trained.

How big was the Titanic?- click here for video

Within the crew there were many random jobs which do not fit into a particular category. Titanic and Olympic were the first ships to have facilities such as swimming baths, Turkish baths and squash courts which meant that attendants and instructors had to be employed to staff these areas. There were also the members of the orchestra, the Marconi radio operators and various cleaners.

User Comments 58

All the engineers including cadets were lost. In honour of their bravery, King George bestowed a purple sash to be worn with formal uniform. The colour purple was later incorporated in the gold rings of engineers' uniforms. Only royalty, clergy and Merchant Navy engineers can wear this colour to date .

Dave Milne 23 June 2011

The captain of the Titanic's body was recovered and he is buried in England

a blount 21 June 2011

I wish that you had mentioned that of the enginering officers, not one of them survived. They kept the power going until just before the ship sank. If any emerged with honour in that awful disaster, it was those men, and the firemen who did their jobs right.

dpring 20 June 2011

Is there an entire mock up of the ship's bridge and lookout anywhere?

wayne 19 June 2011

On separate occasions I met two people who were survivors of the Titanic, one being Miss or Mrs Cavedish from Crakemarsh Hall, Uttoxeter, and the other a Mr George Smith from Stafford.

Norman Deaville 18 June 2011

900 heroes on the Titanic who tried to save the ship and passengers, with not much help from the White Star Line. The crew will not be forgotten.

tony mac 16 June 2011

I had a relative who was in the orchestra. They played as the ship went down - what courage.

Tracy Cobey 16 June 2011

1958 Titanic Film.
I was working at Birkenhead Cammel Laird on one ship in 1958. There was film showing at Liverpool London Road Odeon Cinema. I watched it with awe and I had a strange feeling going back to work. I was working as an electrical welder and then painter on hull. I am reading a book about the Titanic with a list of passengers. I saw one address, Latimer Street, where my grandparents lived. But soon I realised my mistake. Latimer Street as mentioned in the book was in Southampton, not Liverpool. Titanic had not been at Liverpool but her sisters from Belfast were there many times. White Star.

John Lawler 09 June 2011

Is there anywhere I can see a mock up of the radio room of the Titanic?

Peter Marchese 08 June 2011

My grandfather's brother was on the Titanic and was a member of the crew. He was on lifeboat 16. His name was Edward Andrews, from west Derby, Liverpool.

kevin anderson 04 June 2011