Being part of history...
Graham Barnetson
Chief Financial Officer | Non Executive Director | Charity Trustee
Today is the 109th anniversary of the day that Titanic, the largest vessel at that time afloat, departed Southampton on her maiden voyage being towed by six of Red Funnel Group’s tugs.
On the 10th April 1912, at just after noon, Albert Edward, Hercules, Vulcan, Ajax, Hector and Neptune towed the White Star Line’s flagship at the start of her fateful maiden voyage. That journey through Southampton Water is immortalised in the ledger entry from the day which hangs in the corridor opposite my office.
As the 46,382 ton Titanic moved out of the docks, the displacement of water from her hull snapped the moorings of American Line's 17,550 liner, New York, which began to drift towards Titanic. A collision was narrowly avoided as Captain Gale of Red Funnel's tug, Vulcan, realised the danger and threw a line to New York and managed to sufficiently slow her drift under full steam.
The journey that is not so well known is that seven days previously, on the 3rd April 1912, when Titanic arrived in Southampton just before midnight and was guided by five Red Funnel tugs, Hercules, Vulcan, Ajax, Hector and Neptune, into berth 44 in the White Star dock, the berth from which RMS Olympic, her sister ship, had departed only hours earlier.
Titanic arrived in Southampton that night from Harland and Wolff in Belfast with only a skeleton crew aboard and the rest were recruited from the city. Of the 908 crew members aboard Titanic, 724 were from Southampton. And of the 685 crew members who perished when White Star Line's flagship sank, 549 were from the city.
Working in a business that is steeped in this sort of history is a frequent welcome reminder that teh events that we experience today will become the history of our business for those who follow.
It is our role as its current custodians to ensure that the history of this incredible company continues to be made.
#RedFunnel #Titanic #History #RedFunnelDiaries
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3 年Brilliant archive story would make a great book by Redfunnel history I can remember the Redfunnel tugs obviously not the ones with Titanic last time I was in Falmouth a Redfunnel previous owned tug was moored still in Redfunnel colours mid 1990s
New Role
3 年Two of my relatives sailed on the Titanic , great uncle Edward Charles biggs a stoker/fireman lost. Second cousin William harder a window cleaner survived. Plus my husband great grandad was a slade brother who missed the titanic as he and his 2 brothers where drinking in the Grapes. .. we went to the Titanic 100 years anniversary, very poignant.
H.R.;Corporate Trainer, experienced in Operations. Qualified Coach & Mentor supporting Wellbeing & Mental Health. (BA Hon's Social Psychology; H.R. (MA HRM)
3 年I was fascinated by the article, I had no idea of the history of Red Funnel going that far back!
Leadership Fellow at Windsor Castle - St George's House. Director, Society of Leadership Fellows
3 年My family member William Pitfield was a crew member on the Titanic. He sadly did not survive and left a young family. He lived in Southampton. A lot of mention is made of the millionaires who died but, except in Southampton, there is rarely reference to crew members.