Another survivor, a lookout by the name of Archie Jewell, wrote to his sister describing the moment Titanic sank. I can't help crying when I think about it. When World War I broke out in , merchant vessels, and their crews, were required for the war effort to serve in convoys and as hospital ships. By , Germany had unleashed its U-boat fleet in a bid to choke off Britain's supply lines. The toll on the merchant fleet was horrendous. Priest was among those who went to war, serving aboard the armed merchant vessel Alcantara.
In February , Alcantara intercepted the German raider Grief, which was disguised a Norwegian ship. As Alcantara approached, Grief opened fire. There was a short, ferocious, close-range battle, at the end of which both ships were sunk. More than 70 of Priest's shipmates were killed and he only narrowly escaped, with shrapnel wounds.
When he returned to work, it was aboard Britannic, Titanic's other - even bigger - sister, which was serving as a hospital ship ferrying wounded soldiers back to Britain through the Mediterranean. Having already survived a collision on Olympic and the loss of Titanic, it must have been with no small amount of trepidation that he joined the third of the celebrated White Star Liners.
Joining Priest on board were two other Titanic survivors; Archie Jewell, the lookout, and Violet Jessop, a White Star stewardess who was now serving as a nurse. If Priest did feel any nervousness, it was entirely justified. On 21 November , the great ship struck a mine and sank near the Greek island of Kea. Once again, he emerged from the very depths of a foundering ship alive.
Indeed, the majority of the ship's crew were evacuated safely, but two of the lifeboats were lowered into the sea too early and were sucked into the ship's still turning propellers, killing 30 men. Among those pulled into the blades was Archie, who somehow survived.
I shut my eyes and said good bye to this world, but I was struck with a big piece of the boat and got pushed right under the blades and I was goin around like a top I came up under some of the wreckage Violet was also in danger of being pulled into the propellers, but dived clear and was sucked underneath, striking her head on the keel.
Share this page. Further reading. Down Amongst the Black Gang Buy. Learn more about Titanic Show more books. The Titanic Expeditions Buy. Guide to the Crew of Titanic Buy. SS Nomadic Buy. The Unsinkable Titanic Buy. Titanic the Ship Magnificent - Slipcase Buy.
Titanic Unseen Buy. RMS Olympic Buy. Olympic, Titanic, Britannic Buy. His family were shown on the census living at 51 Kingsley Road, Shirley, Hampshire where Samuel was described as a naval pensioner seaman.
He was a Lamp Trimmer, responsible for keeping the lamps in order and burning in all weather conditions. Such skilled men were employed in town streets, for railway companies and very large houses. Interestingly we can quote Samuel Hemming in his own words because he gave evidence on day 7 of the United States Senate Inquiry to chairman Senator Smith. On his return to Britain he also testified for the British enquiry on 24 May That is all, I think.
To put the lights in at nighttime and take them off at daybreak. On the night of the accident he was in his bunk asleep.
I found it was the air escaping out of the exhaust of the tank… At that time the chief officer, Mr. She is making water in the forepeak tank, but the storeroom is quite dry.
She is making water, one-two-three, and the racket court is getting filled up. Keep it to yourselves, and let no one know. On the port side… My station was boat No. They were turning the boats out. As I went to the deck, I went there where were the least men, and helped to turn out the boats… Then I went to the boats on the port side, to do the same, until Mr.
We lowered the boat in line with the A deck. I went away into the lamp room lighting the lamps, and I brought them up on deck. Then I lit the lamps and brought them up, four at a time, two in each hand. The boats that were already lowered, I put them on the deck, and asked them to pass them down to the end of the boat fall.
As to the boats that were not lowered, I gave them into the boats myself. For the boats that were not lowered, I gave them to somebody in the boats… After I had finished with the lamps, when I made my last journey they were turning out the port collapsible boat.
I went and assisted Mr. Lightoller to get it out…. I saw him standing up in the boat. With four men these were Quartermaster Perkis, and there was Foley, the storekeeper, and McCarthy and a fireman, two young ladies and a little girl. I did not see the babies at all when I got in the boat. About 40, all told, I should think, at that time.
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