Charles Lightoller: The Titanic Second Officer Who Helped Evacuate Over 120 Men at Dunkirk
The sinking of the RMS Titanic is an infamous event in history. Most people know about the iceberg and the fact there were too few lifeboats for all the people on board. However, many don’t know about Charles Herbert Lightoller, the ship’s second officer who saved lives and went on to distinguish himself in both World Wars.
On the high seas from an early age
Charles Lightoller’s maritime career began at the age of 13, when he started a four-year apprenticeship aboard the Primrose Hill. He eventually set sail with another ship, and a year into the apprenticeship experienced his first shipwreck. The Holt Hill ran aground in 1889, killing her chief mate, and Lightoller and the other survivors were forced to spend eight days on Île Saint-Paul before being rescued.
By the age of 21, Lightoller would be the survivor of a shipwreck, a cyclone and a fire at sea. He’d also have his mates ticket. For years, he’d sail the open seas with different ships and partake in other endeavors, such as gold mining in the Yukon and being a cowboy in Alberta, Canada. After returning to steamships, Lightoller joined White Star Line and was eventually assigned to the RMS Titanic.
Charles Lightoller survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic
Charles Lightoller was the first officer aboard the RMS Titanic for her sea trials, two weeks before her ill-fated maiden voyage. When the ship set sail, he became the second officer, as Capt. Edward Smith appointed Henry Wilde the chief officer, instead.
Titanic left Queenstown, Ireland, on April 11, 1912, and was expected to arrive in New York on April 17, 1912. On April 14, at 11:40 PM, Lightoller was in his cabin after his shift when he felt a vibration run through the ship. Dressed in his pyjamas, he went to the deck, where he was met by Third Officer Herbert Pitman, who’d also felt the vibrations. There was no sign of alarm on the bridge, and the men returned to their cabins to await further orders.
Minutes later, Lightoller was informed the ship was taking on water and that it was already up to F deck in the mail room. Getting dressed, he headed to the deck and took charge of the even-numbered lifeboats on the port side. He supervised the loading of women and children into them and asked for permission to lower them down. Lightoller was lowering Collapsible D when he was told by Wilde to get in, an order he refused.
In Titanic‘s final moments, Lightoller launched the lifeboat Collapsible B, before diving into the water as the ship surged forward. He was struck by a ventilation shaft, but was saved from being pulled under by an exploding boiler. The blast propelled him to the surface of the water, close to the boat he had just launched.
When the RMS Carpathia arrived to rescue the men in Collapsible B, it was beginning to sink. Lightoller was the last Titanic survivor to be taken aboard, as he insisted on helping the others first. He was also the most senior officer to survive and was called to the American Inquiry that followed it.
Charles Lightoller’s service in the Great War
This wouldn’t be the end of Charles Lightoller’s time at sea, as, after the American and British Inquiries, he sailed as first officer aboard the RMS Oceanic (1899). He was still serving with the ship when World War I began and she was changed into an armed merchant cruiser.
With the change in status of Oceanic, Lightoller became a lieutenant, instead of the first officer. Oceanic wouldn’t serve in the Royal Navy for long, however, as she ran aground on September 8, 1914, before being broken up by a storm three weeks later.
Just before Christmas 1915, Lightoller was given command of the torpedo boat HMTB 117. His actions as captain during a battle with Zeppelin L31 led to him being presented with the Distinguished Service Cross. He was then promoted to commander of the HMS Falcon (1899), a torpedo boat destroyer charged with partaking in the “Dover patrol.” Falcon eventually met the same fate as the RMS Titanic after colliding with a trawler.
In March 1919, Lightoller was placed on the Royal Navy’s retirement list as a full commander. His promotion was prompted by his actions in sinking the German U-boat SM UB-110, which he accomplished by ramming the submarine with the River-class destroyer HMS Garry.
Heroics during the Dunkirk evacuation
After leaving the Royal Navy, Charles Lightollder returned to White Star Line, but the company wanted to forget about the RMS Titanic and everyone associated with it. This led to him resigning. During his years in retirement, he opened a guest house and bought a yacht named Sundowner. However, this wasn’t the end for the seaman, as he found himself part of Operation Dynamo in 1940, at the age of 66.
The operation began with a request sent by the British Admiralty for private vessels to help evacuate 338,000 Allied soldiers near Dunkirk. On June 1, 1940, Lightoller sailed Sundowner out of Ramsgate with his son, Roger, and Sea Scout Gerald Ashcroft. The yacht had a capacity of 21 people, but they were able to fit around 127-130 soldiers onboard.
On the return voyage, Sundowner was attacked by runs from Luftwaffe aircraft. However, the evasive maneuvers Lightoller used ensured that none of the strafing runs hit the vessel. Another danger came from the waves of fast-moving destroyers, particularly as Sundowner was deep in the water, due to the additional weight.
Despite all this, the yacht made it safely back to Ramsgate, albeit after 12 nerve wracking hours.
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After the first run, Lightoller wanted to head back to Dunkirk, but only ships able to travel at 20 knots were allowed. Following the operation, he joined the Royal Navy’s Small Vessels Pool and ferried weapons and ammunition for the Royal Army Service Corps until the end of World War II.
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Charles Lightoller: The Titanic Second Officer Who Helped Evacuate Over 120 Men at Dunkirk
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