Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: Brian60 on January 09, 2017, 05:49:37 pm
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I'm watching a program on finding the Britannic. It seems Violet Jessop must be one of the most unlucky or lucky? people that lived.
She survived the sinking of the Titanic, then was on the Olympic when it had a big collision in Southampton Water, then survived the sinking of the Britannic as well, all three ships of the White Star line. It does make one wonder about fate and luck in life!
It's a good program by the way, Bob Ballard who found the Titanic goes looking for the Britannic, shown on PBS channel on Sky tv.
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I think you have it the wrong way round. The Olympic collision with HMS Hawke was in 1911, Titanic sank in 1912. Britannic of course in 1916. She was certainly a survivor though, dying in 1971 at the age of 83.
Colin
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Those experiences would be enough to put most people off cruising for life :-)
Peter.
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I can imagine the conversation in the tea rooms.
"Well I have traveled with White Star lines three time now, and quite frankly ........"
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Yeah,
She would have given them a
Big fat zero on Tripadvisor <*<
Ned
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There seem to be quite a number of multiple sinking survivors. Probably many times that who survived one but not the next.
Whether it is really that unlucky I'm not sure. With two wars and somewhat less safe ship operations than we are used to nowadays a professional seafarer (Violet was a stewardess/nurse) getting sunk was probably an occupational hazard. I don't think I'd have the guts to keep going out like that, but it was different times.
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I was with a friend once on a cycling holiday in Britany, when we arrived back in St Malo about 4 hours early for the ferry back to Southampton. it was 1983.
We went into a pub near the docks for a few beers and to rest our weary bones, when we got into conversation with an elderly gentleman.
He asked where we came from, and my mate at the time said he was born in Widnes...to which the old man's eyes lit up with nostalgia, saying he had digs in Widnes during the war, when he regularly sailed from Liverpool on wartime convoys.
He told us a few tales of sailing, but then dropped into the conversation that he had sailed to and from the USA 5 times in convoy, and was torpedoed 3 of those 10 trips, and in the end on the last trip stayed in Liverpool for the rest of the duration with a job as a hospital porter..........now that man WAS lucky.
He was a lovely old man, and my knowledge of French swear words grew greatly over the afternoon, plus our few hours in the pub passed so quickly.
Probably as quickly as his convoy survival techniques.
It was an honour to have talked with him, but boy oh boy could he put away the Pernod.
Jim.
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Having experienced Pernod, I doubly salute the gentleman for his fortitude.