He was also present at theshooting at Collapsible C. With most boats he was assisted by Sixth Officer Moody. When writing a letter to his youngest sister on April 8th, 1912, Murdoch mentioned a possible demotion, as much as promised that when Wilde goes I am to go up again , however, the letter to his parents written on April 11th, 1912, before the Titanic arrived in Queenstown, does not mention a change in rank. It depicted him shooting two men dead. Finishing schooling, he followed in the family seafaring tradition and was apprenticed for five years to William Joyce & Coy, Liverpool, but after four years (and four voyages) he was so competent that he passed his Second Mate's Certificate on his first attempt. while glancing at Cal, but Cal having been informed that Rose is on the port side decides against his better judgment and walks away, at that moment Murdoch shouts "prepare to lower" to which Ismay, seeing this as his chance to escape, hops aboard the lifeboat, Murdoch then turns around and notices to see the White Star Line president sitting in the lifeboat, Murdoch briefly looks at him in disappointment for a few moments before shouting the order to "Take them down". 2000-2023. "[21][22], Author Tim Maltin writes that, although the evidence is circumstantial, "it does seem that an officer did shoot himself and Murdoch seems the most likely candidate. From 1897-99, he served as the First Officer on board a New York to Shanghai sailing J. Would she hit us? The collision was a major financial loss for the White Star Line, as the voyage to New York was abandoned and the ship returned to Belfast for repairs, which took six weeks. William McMaster Murdoch lived from 28 February 1873 to 15 April But he described the duties he had to attend to when in charge of the aft bridge when leaving port: Well, I have to see that everything is secured ready for sea after the ship is undocked and see that everything is below that is intended to go below, also to attend to the after telephone and telegraph.. In 1903, moving up the ranks, he joined the crew of Arabic as Second Officer, where he successfully averted a collision with an oncoming ship. William McMaster Murdoch - IMDb On 4 April 2012,Murdochs personal belongings were discovered 2.5 miles beneath the North Atlantic at the Titanic wreck site. The death toll for the Titanic sinking was over 1500 people, and when the 705 survivors got back to New York City, everyone wanted to know what happened and why such a tragedy had taken place. he then shoves Cal back into the crowd next to Tommy and points his revolver right at him. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. On the Sunday evening of the maiden voyage, Smith wants to make a little "headway" and arrive half a day earlier, but Ismay reminds him of the fact White Star doesn't try to gain the Blue Riband. William McMaster Murdoch was born Feb. 28, 1873 in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, the fourth son of Captain Samuel Murdoch, a master mariner, and Jane Muirhead, six of whose children survived infancy. He is said to have perished in the Titanic disaster and his body was never found. The crew agreements and ship's logs show that many of the crew stayed with the same ship over many voyages. The story was told by Captain Edwin Jones to Captain Alain Villiers who made it public in his book "Of Ships and Men". to which Murdoch makes no reply and look of disdain and nods off, at this time Lovejoy notices that Rose is on the portside waiting for Collapsible D with Jack and his friends Fabrizio de Rossi and Tommy Ryan, with the loading of Collapsible C almost filled Murdoch shouts "Any more women and children?" Tommy approaches him and shouts "Will you give us a chance to live, you limey bastards!" At the end of the film, Murdoch is seen next to Thomas Andrews smiling at Rose as she returns to the Grand Staircase to be with Jack and is seen among the rest of the happy onlookers clapping as Rose and Jack kiss as among those who died in the sinking. 0 Reviews. He was serving as First Officer on board the RMS Titanic when it collided with an iceberg, and was among the 1,500 who died when it subsequently sank. Dalbeattie William McMaster Murdoch memorial photographed 2020.jpg. In May 1907 Murdoch became 1st officer on the brand new Adriatic; the largest ship in the company and its flagship. Murdoch perished in the disaster and his body was never recovered. In the 1958 film A Night to Remember, he was portrayed by Richard Leech. Already a member? In this version, he is not the First Officer, being replaced in that role by the fictitious Herr Petersen. The glancing blow along the Titanics hull spelled instant doom for the ship, and now everyone looked at Murdoch as the one to blame since he was the one in charge of the bridge at the time. Medic's second voyage saw Murdoch serving as 3rd officer, while newly appointed as 4th officer of the Medic was Charles Herbert Lightoller. Murdoch in 1900, age 27, when he was Medics second officer. William McMaster Murdoch was rumored to have been involved with other women and possibly fathered a few illegitimate children, in New York and Liverpool, but there is no concrete evidence for the same. However, there will never be a definitive answer to the exact order given. Accounts of some passengers suggest that he committed suicide by shooting himself in the temple moments before the ships descent into the sea. seen attempting to launch one of the collapsible lifeboats. William continued the family tradition by going to sea aged 13 and serving aboard various sailing ships during the final years of the 'age of . The final stage of Murdoch's career began in May 1911, when he joined the new RMS Olympic, at 45,000 tons. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is Murdoch was a proud man that loved the sea, and did his best to save women and children when the Titanic sank, and his memory should remain as such. In Dalbeattie, a memorial plaque was erected at the Town Hall and at Dalbeattie High School the Murdoch Memorial Prize was initiated and is competed for annually until today. Titanic Survivor Stories - First Officer William Murdoch He was the officer in charge on the bridge when the ship collided with an iceberg, and was one of the more than 1,500 people who died when the ship sank. As Walter Lord noted in The Night Lives On, this did not fully change to the "steering wheel" system of commands in the same directions as turns until 1924. My God, well be into her! shouted the First Officer. Murdoch's surviving relatives and historians alike got upset when "Titanic" showed Murdoch accepting a bribe from Billy Zane's Cal, shooting two . He served aboard the Medic and the Runic on the Australian run. Unlike his father and many other seafaring relatives, who had started their seafaring careers as so-called boys and worked their way up before the mast, William served an apprenticeship in sail. Second Officer Lightoller said 'no men' but Murdoch ignores that and allows Batley in. Perhaps one of the most mysterious stories from the night of the sinking of the Titanic revolves around William Murdoch, First Officer only due to a twist of fate that placed Henry Tingle Wilde in the Chief Officer position just before the ship sailed. Smith asks Andrews how much time they have to which Andrews responds "an hour and two at most", Smith then asks "And how many aboard, Mr Murdoch?" Her master was Captain Edward John Smith who became the senior captain of the company when John G. Cameron retired from Oceanic's bridge. His older brother James became a chemist (1867-1906), his younger brother Samuel (1880-1950) became a merchant trading from Chile, where he also became acting British consul. After this, Murdoch is present with Smith, the other ships officers, Joseph Bruce Ismay and Thomas Andrews when Andrews explains the seriousness of the damage to the ship and that Titanic will indeed founder much to the shock of everyone present. Titanic (1912) Lt. William McMaster Murdoch RNR (1873-1912) - MaritimeQuest From May 1895, he was First Mate on the St. Cuthbert, which sank in a hurricane off Uruguay in 1897. When Titanic left Southampton 10 April 1912, she sailed into history. He then shouts the order "Hard-a-port" and takes another horrified look at the iceberg. died when it subsequently sank. Captain Edward J. Smith assembled a crew that included Henry Wilde as Chief Officer, Murdoch as First Officer, and Chief Purser Herbert McElroy. [7], Fourth Officer Boxhall testified that Murdoch set the ship's telegraph to "Full Astern", but Greaser Frederick Scott and Leading Stoker Frederick Barrett testified that the stoking indicators went from "Full" to "Stop". William Murdoch | James Cameron's Titanic Wiki | Fandom The Second Officer was way too strict on the order 'Women and children first'. Murdoch was a highly favoured employee of the White Star Line. On 28 September 1896, Murdoch progressed further in his career by passing the examination for the Extra Master's Certificate at the first attempt. He is shown denying firemen access to the last lifeboat. Continue with Recommended Cookies. We and partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. They were married A memorial is erected in his honor in his hometown of Dalbeattie, Scotland. And realised on the instant what it was, and precisely what sort of ship was showing it and what she was doing. 1914: Murdoch Saves Liner From Iceberg - Encyclopedia Titanica Stormbreakers Verlag E.K., 2002 - 430 pages. It was a struggle to get the last two Collapsibles ready and it took too long to get them down and prepare for launching. He takes his gun, saying "I will shoot the next man who moves." Geoffrey Marcus repeated it in his book "The Maiden Voyage", and it was also mentioned in Lightoller's biography by Patrick Stenson. Murdoch's name is mentioned on the family gravestone at Dalbeattie Cemetery. spotted at 11:39pm on 14 April 1912. Fourth Officer Boxhall forbids Paolo from allowing Second Class women into the lifeboats from A Deck, he thinks they have to board from the Boat Deck. He was in charge when the ship hit an iceberg that ultimately sunk it, leading to the deaths of over a thousand people onboard, including him. Murdoch?" Murdochs father was Samuel Murdoch, a master Mariner, and the name of Murdochs mother was Jane Muirhead. Main Page | William Murdoch William died on April 15, 1912, aged 39. In 1907, Murdoch married a New Zealand school teacher, Ada Florence Banks, whom he met in 1903 while heading to England on either Runic or the Medic. , which sank in the Atlantic in 1912. By 1900, Murdoch joined the White Star Line and served with his future Titanic fellow officer, Charles Lightoller on the Medic. The voyage that commenced 12 February 1903 from Liverpool must have turned into a voyage to remember for Murdoch. The infamous Cape Horn(Courtesy of Susanne Strmer). William McMaster Murdoch - Pantheon In May 1895, he was the First Mate aboard the vessel Saint Cuthbert. Hannah would see Murdoch for the last time when he witnessed the testing of lifeboats before Titanic departed from Southampton on 10 April 1912.[2]. Think of it like tipping your history steward.Regards, John Edwards, Editor/Publisher. Intended to outclass the Cunard ships in luxury and size Olympic needed the most experienced large-liner crew that the White Star Line could find. It seems as if Adriatic had a steadying influence on Murdoch's life. Lieutenant William "Will" McMaster Murdoch RNR was a Scottish sailor notable as the officer in charge when the Titanic collided with an iceberg. Olympic Crew 1911.jpg. William McMaster Murdoch ( 1873. februr 28. [11] The orders that Murdoch gave to avoid the iceberg are debated. seconds after the iceberg was sighted, it was struck by the He looked straight ahead when the Look Outs rang the bell in the Crow's nest and he immediatly went to the bridge, gave orders to "hard a-starboard" and "full speed astern". It was enough for him. Cool, capable, on his toes always and smart toes they were. During the time that he served aboard Olympic as First Officer (until March of 1912), there were two more -though lesser- incidents, striking a sunken wreck and having to have a broken propeller replaced, and nearly running aground while leaving Belfast. Murdoch was the officer in charge at the bridge when the Titanic struck the iceberg on April 14th, 1912. 1 Adems, fue . The Murdochs were a long and notable line of Scottish seafarers who sailed the world's oceans as early as the 19th century; William's father . During Murdoch's evening watch on 14 April 1912 she struck an iceberg and sank on 15 April 1912 2:20 am ship's time. The next voyages saw the Charles Cotesworth sailing to Portland, Oregon (1889/90), Valparaiso (1890/91) and Iquique (1891/92). If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. ship's final moments afloat. Following in the footsteps of his forefathers, William McMaster Murdoch joined the seafaring profession and apprenticed as a mariner at William Joyce & Coy, Liverpool. During 1903, Murdoch finally reached the stormy and glamorous North Atlantic run as Second Officer of the new liner Arabic. Summarize this article for a 10 years old, William McMaster Murdoch, RNR (28 February 1873 15 April 1912) was a Scottish sailor, who was the first officer on the RMSTitanic. As he stood there, coolly keeping our ship on what we all then realised was the only possible collision-free course, a great four-masted barque, wind howling in her giant press of sails, came clawing down our weather side. Murdoch, with an "ordinary master's certificate" and a reputation as a "canny and dependable man", had climbed through the ranks of the White Star Line to become one of its foremost senior officers. They were hard to see. He also enjoys cycling and often takes his boys out on rides with him. The original Second Officer, David Blair, would sit out the voyage altogether while the rest of the ship's complement of officers remained unchanged. St. Cuthbert sailed from Ipswich to Mauritius, and from there to Newport (Wales) via Newcastle (NSW), Callao and Hamburg (Germany). In the 1979 made-for-television film S.O.S. Captain Edward J. Smith assembled a crew that included Henry Tingle Wilde as Chief Officer, William Murdoch as First Officer, and Chief Purser Hugh W. McElroy. to which the seaman responds "They're all still aft sir". However, it was difficult for anyone to know for sure if any officer committed suicide because the body of First Officer William Murdoch was never recovered. Young Murdoch with Awaiting them would be an old Adriatic hand, Joseph Groves Boxhall, as Fourth Officer, and others who would be familiar colleagues, including the now ageing Edward John Smith, as Captain, and on the verge of retirement. He remained 1st officer of this ship until May 1911 only the Charles Cotesworth, the ship on which he served his apprenticeship, saw him on her decks for a longer period of time. Some historians argue that reversing the engines gave a higher chance of hitting the iceberg than reducing the ship's forward motion and slowing the turning of the ship. The Man 3. Murdoch did serve on Titanic's sister ship RMS Olympic as Chief Officer in command. Please help keep Ocean Liners Magazine afloat. Henry Tingle Wilde is announced to become Chief Officer, Blair is discharged off the Titanic, and Murdoch and Lightoller both go down one rank. Hitchens turned the wheel all the way over, but many experts feel that the decision to reverse the engine was a mistake because the sudden change in momentum might have had an effect on the ships ability to turn fast enough to avoid the iceberg all together. When Titanic's maiden voyage started, there was a setback for Murdoch, however. On 14 June 1911 Olympic departed on her maiden voyage to New York, with a planned arrival on 21 June. & J. Rae who were related to the Murdoch family. He is most famous for inventing the incandescent light bulb. Over two weeks before the maiden voyage, Chief Officer Murdoch discusses the possibility of a terrorist attack on the Titanic with Captain Smith, First Officer Lightoller, and Second Officer David Blair. They began to correspond regularly; on 2 September 1907 they were wed in Southampton at St Denys Church. set out in our Historical There never was a better officer. Murdoch notices all the watertight doors are closed and orders to "note the time and enter it into the log". Egyike volt annak a kzel 1500 ldozatnak, aki lett vesztette, amikor a luxusgzs elsllyedt az Atlanti-cenon. [25], In Murdoch's hometown of Dalbeattie, a memorial fund was created for the High School. He survived the disaster unlike the older First Officer. The wider picture in Scotland at the time is set out in our Historical Timeline.. William McMaster Murdoch was born in Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway. Decline all Cookies (not recommended) 1912. Titanic when it collided with an iceberg, and was among the 1,500 who [17] When Murdoch's nephew Scott saw the film, he objected to the portrayal as damaging to Murdoch's heroic reputation,[19] and film executives later flew to Murdoch's hometown to apologize. On 20 September 1911, the Olympic collided with the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Hawke, badly damaging her hull. After a four year courtship, Murdoch and Banks got married in Southampton, England. [18] However, Lightoller's testimony at the U.S inquiry suggests that he was not in a position to witness Murdoch being swept into the sea. Later in life, and according to a family friend, Lightoller reportedly admitted that someone did die by suicide in the sinking. Many movies followed thereafter. He orders "Hard a starboard!" Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. He travelled to Belfast once again where he signed on as chief officer on the Titanic. If he had altered to port wed have hit with our bow: if to starboard, with our stern. In 1903, Murdoch finally reached the stormy and glamorous North Atlantic run as Second Officer of the new liner Arabic. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. Olympic's maiden voyage was the fourth maiden voyage for Murdoch - and for the third time he was one of the senior officers. Murdoch remained on the Adriatic and signed on for the next voyage 3 May 1911 but was replaced on sailing day by C. H. Greame. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Since Captain Smith arrived only after Captain Haddock had left the ship, it was Murdoch as the highest-ranking officer who was in charge of the ship. It was during Murdoch's time on the Arabic that an incident occurred which has fallen into legend. He got his boats more efficiently launched and better filled than Lightoller on the port side. William McMaster Murdoch - Wikipedia In April 2012, Premier Exhibitions announced that it had identified Murdoch's belongings from a prior expedition to the wreck of the Titanic in 2000. Details about their children, if any, are unavailable. After the ship is seen building in speed, reports to Smith with good news Twenty-one knots, sir! much to Smith's satisfaction. In 1887, he graduated with a diploma from Dalbeattie High School. Captain Hannah came from a family of seafarers with their roots in Kircudbrightshire like Murdoch, and was Assistant Marine Superintendent for the White Star Line at Southampton. Her destination was New York which meant that Murdoch had arrived on the so-called Atlantic Run thus serving in the premium service of the company and it also meant he had become an officer on one of the Western Ocean mailboats, in those days the most prestigious and glamorous ships. Murdochs body, if recovered, was never identified. Quartermaster Robert Hichens, who was at the helm, and Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall, who may or may not have been on the bridge at the time,[3] both stated that Murdoch gave the order "Hard-a-starboard",[4][5][6] a tiller command which would turn the ship to port (left) by moving the tiller to starboard (right). Murdoch did not sign a crew list again until August 1893, when became 2nd mate on the full-rigger Iquique. ", before he famously replied: "Stop engines, hard a-starboard, full astern", and then rang the warning bell. [1] Life and career Upon arriving in Southampton, Murdoch learned that his next assignment would be the Chief Officer of the Titanic, the Olympic's sister ship, serving under Captain Edward J. Smith. old New Zealand school teacher, while crossing the Atlantic. Shortly after this he hears Frederick Fleet ring the lookout bell four times he notices the iceberg in the distance and dashes to the bride, moments after James Paul Moody answers the call from the lookout informing them of the iceberg, to give Robert Hichens the order "hard to starboard" alongside Moody" and is then seem to signal the engine room telegraph to "Stop" and "Full Speed Astern" to Joseph Bell in the engine room. We watched, horrified. During the final moments of the sinking, he was seen attempting to launch Collapsible A. On the night of April 14, 1912, First Officer William Murdoch relieved Second Officer Charles Lightoller, and the two men parted ways. Murdoch had earlier served aboard the Olympic, which would return to Belfast in March of 1912. Ismay goes to bed and Smith repeats his wish, even though Murdoch says they had a few ice warnings. On 23 March 1895 Murdoch passed the examination for the 1st mate's certificate, and on 12 May1895 he joined the barque St. Cuthbert as 1st mate. Murdoch was born in Dalbeattie in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, the fourth son of Captain Samuel Murdoch, a master mariner, and Jane Muirhead, six of whose children survived infancy. William McMaster Murdoch lived from 28 February 1873 to 15 April 1912. William McMaster Murdoch | Titanic Database Wiki | Fandom If Murdoch had hoped to be promoted to chief officer on Olympic's second voyage, his hope was in vain. The next scheduled voyage in March had to be postponed for a week due to this repair, but when that voyage commenced, Murdoch had left the ship. Another younger crew member, a stoker or fireman, with the name William McMaster Murdoch was reportedly aboard the Titanic. His superior, Officer Fox, had ordered for the ship to steer "hard-a-port," but Murdoch rushed into the wheelhouse, brushed aside the quartermaster, and held the ship on course. Murdoch was then sent to Belfast to join the Olympic. However, despite their efforts, the ship fatally strikes the iceberg and Murdoch watches in horror as the iceberg scrapes its side. The Captain and officers of the Olympic were called upon to give evidence before an inquiry into the collision. Murdoch immediately flew into action, and while telling Hitchens to turn the wheel toward the port side with his order of hard a starboard, he also signaled the engine room to reverse the engines. After completing his voyage with Olympic, he was selected to be Chief Officer on board the RMS Titanics, maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. While officers like Second Officer Charles Lightoller claim they saw Murdoch trying to free a collapsible boat, many of the surviving passengers swear that an officer shot himself, and point the finger at Murdoch as the man who did it. Chaos ensued and passengers were now aware that the ship wouldn't last long, and became impatient. At its helm was the experienced first officer, William McMaster Murdoch, of Scotland. He was later transferred to the Atlantic liners Arabic (1903), Adriatic (1907), Celtic (1901), Germanic (1875), Oceanic (1899), Olympic (1911) and, finally, Titanic. Ada Florence Banks(With kind permission of Derek Webley). at that moment, Cal steps up to him and "We had a deal, damn you."
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