# Radio Officers of RMS Titanic



## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

John George Phillips was a British sailor and the senior wireless operator aboard the Titanic during its ill-fated maiden voyage in April 1912. On the final evening, Phillips had been exceptionally busy clearing a backlog of messages caused by a wireless breakdown. His consequent failure to respond to incoming signals was cited as a principal cause of the disaster. Phillips did his utmost to contact other ships for assistance. He died in the sinking.

Harold Sydney Bride (11 January 1890 – 29 April 1956) was the junior wireless officer. 

After the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 pm 14 April 1912, Bride and his senior colleague Jack Phillips were responsible for relaying CQD messages (later SOS at Captain Edward Smith's urging) to ships in the vicinity, which led to the survivors being picked up by the RMS Carpathia. 

The men remained at their posts until the ship's power was almost completely out. Bride was washed off the ship as the boat deck flooded, but managed to scramble onto the upturned lifeboat Collapsible 'B', and was rescued by the Carpathia later in the morning. Despite being injured, he helped Harold Cottam, the Carpathia's wireless operator and a personal friend of his, transmit survivor lists and personal messages from the ship.

It was not until 1954 that Phillip sand Bride were totally exonerated from any failings of communication. As a result of that exoneration the PMG Certificate awarded to Radio Officers was crowned with the Royal Coat of Arms. 








You can see that Royal Coat of Arms here: 

Jack Phillips










Harold Bride


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

For interest, today is Maritime Radio Day where us R/O Ham radio types commemorate the Titanic disaster by playing at ship's Radio Officers and Coast Station Ops on the Ham bands.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

What is the source for the claim re the coat of arms?


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

Board of Trade (as was..)


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Really? Do you have a ref for that? I'm not having a shot at you, but I have never heard of the 54 business "clearing" Jack and Harry and the coat of arms on the certs....


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

My skipper, D.G.Powell, on my final ship, the Geestbay in '64 told me one of his close relatives sat on the board that concluded the exoneration. And that is why R/O's were the only people in the MN with the Royal Coat of Arms on their ticket. No skipper nor engineer no electrician had it...


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Here is an old (not mine)... 1930s Master's ticket with Royal Coat of Arms on the front. My own 'tickets' has the Arms on the covers... 2nd Mate to Master. However, the Arms on the cover, but on the certificate inside carried the BOT, DOT, DTI.


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

Excellent.


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

"..... told me one of his close relatives sat on the board that concluded the exoneration."

Ah. There was an inquest in the 1960s into actions by Captain Stanley Lord (ss CALIFORNIA). He was exonerated. Perhaps there were also comments regarding Jack Phillips R/O. I've never seen that report. I'll ask around.

Stephen


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

I never got my head around all the 'blame' - times were so very different back then. And one important one was the change over from CQD to SOS.. Give me strength... Cheers


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## Stephen J. Card (Nov 5, 2006)

Here is a bit of info re the 1965 & 1968 reports:

Petitions presented to the UK Government in 1965 and 1968 by the Mercantile Marine Service Association (MMSA), a union to which Captain Lord belonged, failed to get the matter re-examined.

Stephen


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

GBSS said:


> My skipper, D.G.Powell, on my final ship, the Geestbay in '64 told me one of his close relatives sat on the board that concluded the exoneration. And that is why R/O's were the only people in the MN with the Royal Coat of Arms on their ticket. No skipper nor engineer no electrician had it...


Well, it seems that he was wrong...as proved by the post below yours....


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

To err is human, to forgive divine. GBSS QRC VA...


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

Making sweeping statements without any proof is rather silly....


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## GBSS (Nov 18, 2020)

Idon't want to spoil your day but posted in good faith. And if that doesn't suit, well foxtrot oscar. Subject closed.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I think there are a few myths round the Titanic's sinking. Another one is that the engineers had purple distinction cloth on their braid because they were all killed at their posts on Titanic. The truth is probably that they copied the Royal Navy. I'm not going to stake my life on that though, I'm just a simple Sparky.

John T


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I am sure that is right about the braid John T. I would like to add that all the leckies were lost too!

(I have a newspaper cutting of a Great Uncle arriving in Mexico aboard Californian although much earlier than Titanic's sinking).


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

GBSS said:


> To err is human, to forgive divine. GBSS _Q*RC*_ VA...


 Looks like yr slip's showing vx


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

#17... Interesting comment on "Californian " to Mexico pre Panama shortcut..
Was the landing Atlantic or Pacific side?


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## Varley (Oct 1, 2006)

I will fetch out the cutting and see if it says but astonished if not on Atlantic side.


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## R651400 (Jun 18, 2005)

She belong to Leyland Line that amalgamated with Furness Withy who had West coast US interests .
Later absorbed into Ellermans the "ian" suffix carried on with Ellerman Papayani and I remember watching mv Florian rise in Henry Robb Leith's yard from LNC classroom window.


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## John Gowers (Jul 18, 2018)

#6 Just checked my own chief's ticket issued in 1984 and then the renewal in 2002, when the new passport sized ticket was issued, it has the royal coat of arms on the outside and the inside of the ticket. Also like to point out that the coat of arms is on the front of discharge books and Seaman's ID books.


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

GBSS said:


> Idon't want to spoil your day but posted in good faith. And if that doesn't suit, well foxtrot oscar. Subject closed.


Pull your head in.

It is patently obvious to anyone who knows anything about the MN that *ALL tickets had the coat of arms on them*...masters, mates, engineers and sparkies. 

Or have you never seen a mate's or engineer's ticket?

If you are going to come on here and post easily refuted rubbish, be prepared to be called on it.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

I'm sure GBSS made his post with the best of intentions based on what he believed was true information. Probably the person who told him the story thought it was true too. I'm surprised nobody has come up with the old "The only officer on a ship is the Radio Officer" gag. I remember a sailor telling me once that I had a "Royal Warrant" (whatever that is).

John T


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## DickGraham (Oct 2, 2017)

That was no gag, that was me, and a fine upstanding one I was too


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

The bloke that told him was clearly (to use a UK expression) taking the piss....if he was the old man, he would have known it was rubbish...unless he had never looked at his own ticket!


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## Norm (Jun 21, 2006)

GBSS said:


> My skipper, D.G.Powell, on my final ship, the Geestbay in '64 told me one of his close relatives sat on the board that concluded the exoneration. And that is why R/O's were the only people in the MN with the Royal Coat of Arms on their ticket. No skipper nor engineer no electrician had it...


Was there an electricians ticket ?? My ticket was an ONC Electrical Engineering, and a full City & Guilds Instrument and Control Technology. A 5 year apprenticeship in electrical and Instrumentation engineering. There was no electricians ticket. None of these carried a royal coat of arms.

My postman had a crown on his cap badge. Did that make him an officer? After all he worked for the PMG.

"don't want to spoil your day but posted in good faith. And if that doesn't suit, well foxtrot oscar. Subject closed. "

Subject not closed. You may have started it, but you can't stop it. F. You too, since you're bringing profanities into it.


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## Ron Stringer (Mar 15, 2005)

A nonsense and divisive posting creates a nonsense and divisive discussion!
Her Majesty's Stationary Office publishes thousands of different do***ents bearing the official coat of arms. It has no other significance than that the do***ent is 'official'.
When considering the relative status of those employed aboard a British merchant vessel, it is useful to keep in mind the nature of their employers, not known for their generosity.
If any person aboard who had signed articles was not necessary for the profitable operation of the vessel, they would not have been there. In support of that statement I offer the example of the Radio Officer, who was dispensed with as soon as a cheaper alternative became available. If they weren't essential they were no longer employed.
The corollary is that if the reason you are employed is that you are essential, then when it comes down to essentials you are all, certificated or not, of equal status.
That's how I behaved at sea and in my 'after-life' once I came ashore.
It worked for me.


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