Albert Charles Thomas

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-survivor/albert-charle...

• Name: Mr Albert Charles Thomas
• Titanic Survivor
• Born: Wednesday 13th February 1889 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England
• Age: 23 years 2 months and 2 days (Male)
• Nationality: English
• Marital Status: Married to Mary Beatrice Balston
• Last Residence: 11 Brunswick Place in Southampton, Hampshire, England
• Occupation: Saloon Steward
• Last Ship: "Oceanic"
• Victualling crew
• First Embarked: Southampton on Thursday 4th April 1912
• Rescued : (Boat 15)
• Disembarked Carpathia: New York City on Thursday 18th April 1912
• Died: Friday 6th April 1978 in Poole, Dorset, England aged 84 years
• Cremated: Bournmouth Crematorium, Bournmouth, Hampshire, England
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-lifeboat-15/ Life Boat No. 15
• Reference: https://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic-deckplans/ R.M.S. Titanic deck plans

Mr Albert Charles Thomas was born in Liverpool on 13 February 1889.

When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 4 April 1912, he gave his address as 11 Brunswick Place, (Southampton). He had transferred from the Oceanic. As a first class steward he received monthly wages of £3 15s.

He was rescued in lifeboat 15.

References and Sources Agreement and Account of Crew (PRO London, BT100/259)

Credits Brian Ticehurst, UK

R.M.S. TITANIC - Albert Charles THOMAS (1889-1973). "No. 680500. Continuous Certificate of Discharge." 8vo (160 x 110mm). 25-pages, tables. Original black cloth wallet with flap, rectangular section in upper cover cut-away revealing the holder's signature on the first page, "Board of Trade" coat-of-arms stamped in gilt above (lightly rubbed). A HIGHLY IMPORTANT RECORD OF ALBERT CHARLES THOMAS'S SERVICE ON BOARD R.M.S. TITANIC ON ITS FATEFUL MAIDEN VOYAGE, WITH NEAR-CONTEMPORARY AUTOGRAPH NOTES OUTLINING THE DISASTER WITH CHILLING BREVITY: ... 'DATE AND PLACE OF DISCHARGE:' "15 APRIL 1912. AT SEA" ... 'DESCRIPTION OF VOYAGE:' "INTENDED NEW YORK." On pages 15-16, the first column, under the printed heading 'Name of ship and official number, Port of registry, and tonnage,' is filled in, in a contemporary hand, "Titanic. 131428. Liverpool 21831"; the second column, under the printed heading 'Date and place of engagement', is filled in, "10 April 1912, South'ton"; the third column, under the printed heading 'Rating; and R.N.R. No. (if any)' is filled in "Stwd"; the fourth column, under the printed heading 'Date and place of discharge' is filled in "15 April 1912 At Sea"; the fifth column under the printed heading 'Description of voyage' is filled in "Intended New York"; and the final column, under the printed heading 'Signature of Master', is filled in "Extracted from List of Crew [?]Th. Malan, Registrar General, 30th May 1912," with blue stamp. The booklet, which is signed on several occasions by the holder, details a total of 42 voyages made between 18th February 1910 and 30th January 1914, including the ill-fated one on board Titanic, but also on board the steamers Asturias, Teutonic, Ionic, Kinfauns Castle, Majestic, Oceanic, Araguaya, where his positions are described variously as Waiter, 2nd Pantry Steward, Steward and Assistant Steward. In the columns for 'Report of Character. For ability. For general conduct' the stamps are, without exception, 'Very Good'. The 'title' page of the booklet is inscribed in a contemporary hand "Renewal Book. Original lost through shipwreck." Loosely-inserted is a modern photograph of Albert Thomas, in uniform, from an original taken in 1928. According to the on-line resource "Encyclopedia Titanica", Thomas, a First Class Saloon Steward, was one of 60 occupants of Lifeboat 15 (along with 23 other crew members) which was located on the starboard side of Boat Deck, adjacent to the fourth funnel. With a second similar booklet for Albert Thomas detailing voyages made between 4th February 1914 until 27th February 1923, serving on various vessels. (2) NOTE: These documents may be viewed in the media section of this profile.)

• Reference: Full text- https://archive.org/details/truthabouttitani00grac/page/n6 "The Truth About the Titanic" by Colonel Archibald Gracie, IV 1913 pp. 296-299

BOAT NO. 15.*

Br. Rpt., p. 38, places this next to last lowered on starboard side at 1.35. No disorder in loading or lowering this boat.

Passengers: All third-class women and children (53) and Men: Mr. Haven (first-class) and three others (third-class) only. Total: 4.

Crew: Firemen: Diamond (in charge), Cavell, Taylor; Stewards: Rule, Hart. Total: 13.

Grand Total (Br. Rpt., p. 38) : 70.

. INCIDENTS

G. Cavell, trimmer (Br. Inq.) :

The officer ordered five of us In the boat. We took on all the women and children and the boat was then lowered. We lowered to the first-class (I. e. A) deck and took on a few more women and children, about five, and then lowered to the water. From the lower deck we took In about sixty. There were men about but we did not take them In. They were not kept back. They were third-class passengers, I think — sixty women, Irish. Fireman Diamond took charge. No other seaman In this boat. There were none left on the third-class decks after I had taken the women.

S. J. Rule, bathroom steward (Br. Inq.) : Mr. Murdoch called to the men to get Into the boat. About six got In. "That will do," he said, "lower away to Deck A." At this time the vessel had a slight list to port. We sent scouts around both to the starboard and port sides. They came back and said there were no more women and children. We filled up on A Deck — sixty-eight all told — the last boat to leave the starboard side. There were some left behind. There was a bit of a rush after Mr. Murdoch said we could fill the boat up with men standing by. We very nearly came on top of No. 13 when we lowered away. A man, Jack Stewart, a steward, took charge. Nearly everybody rowed. No lamp. One deckhand in the boat, and men, women and children. Just before it was launched, no more could be found, and about half a dozen men got in. There were sixty- eight in the boat altogether. Seven members of the crew.

J. E. Hart, third-class steward (Br. Inq., 75) : Witness defines the duties and what was done by the stewards, particularly those connected with the steerage.

Pass the women and children up to the Boat Deck," was the order soon after the collision. About three-quarters of an hour after the collision he took women and children from the C Deck to the first-class main companion. There were no barriers at that time. They were all opened. He took about thirty to boat No. 8 as it was being lowered. He left them and went back for more,' meeting third-class passengers on the way to the boats. He brought back about twenty-five more steerage women and children, having some little trouble owing to the men passengers wanting to get to the Boat Deck. These were all third-class people whom we took to the only boat left on the starboard side, viz., No. 15. There were a large number already in the boat, which was then lowered to A Deck, and five women, three children and a man with a baby in his arms taken in, making about seventy people in all, including thirteen or fourteen of the crew and fireman Diamond in charge. Mr. Murdoch ordered witness into the boat. Four men passengers and fourteen crew was the complement of men; the rest were women and children.

When boat No. 15 left the boat deck there were other women and children there — some first- class women passengers and their husbands. Absolute quietness existed. There were repeated cries for women and children. If there had been any more women there would have been found places for them in the boat. He heard some of the women on the A Deck say they would not leave their husbands.

There is no truth in the statement that any of the seamen tried to keep back third-class passengers from the Boat Deck. Witness saw masthead light of a ship from the Boat Deck. He did his very best, and so did all the other stewards, to help get the steerage passengers on the Boat Deck as soon as possible.