A notice issued by White Star Line to passengers and crew on the RMS Olympic after the sinking of the Titanic. It sold for £2700 at Duke’s.
The lot offered on July 11 consisted of a printed single page and a photo of the original owner, Edwin Thomas Mills, who was a Captain's steward on board the Olympic at the time. The notice expressed gratitude to the passengers for their support and donations in the aftermath of the disaster.
It was passed down by Mills' Granddaughter and was estimated at £200-400.
Duke's told ATG there was significant pre-sale interest, with private buyers, dealers and multiple enquiries from the US. The bidding took place in the room, over phone lines and online, with the final hammer reaching £2700 (plus 25% buyer's premium). It sold to a private UK buyer online against strong competition from an American underbidder.
A photo of Edwin Thomas Mills, a Captain’s steward on RMS Olympic, offered at Duke's as part of the lot with the White Star Line notice.
Captain's steward
Edwin Thomas Mills, who was born in Hatfield Essex, married Caroline Edith Mason in 1908. He fortunately missed sailing on the Titanic but went to its aid on board the Olympic that fateful night.
The notice issued read as follows:
'The White Star Line desires to express to the passengers before they leave the "Olympic" their high appreciation of the fortitude with which they received the painful news of the disaster to the "Titanic", and of their kind and sympathetic attitude to the Company both on board and ashore in this time of trouble.
The Company tenders to the passengers their sincere and heartfelt thanks and gratitude for their spontaneous desire that some immediate relief should be granted to the sorrowing relatives and friends of the members of the crew who perished, which has resulted in the collection of the magnificent total of £1,347-6-0 towards the Relief Fund.
WHITE STAR LINE. R.M.S. "OLYMPIC," April 19th, 1912.'
Both the Titanic and Olympic were launched in 1911 by the White Star Line. They were competing to build larger and more advanced "superliners" and were partially financed by American tycoon JP Morgan, who had initially planned to sail aboard the Titanic but changed his plans at the last minute. The two luxurious ships were almost identical in appearance.
The Titanic embarked on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912. The Olympic departed from New York to Southampton on April 13 and it was expected that the two ships would pass each other during their journeys.
Tragedy at sea
On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg and began to sink. Captain Edward Smith ordered distress signals to be sent to other ships in the area about 40 minutes after the collision. Captain Herbert Haddock aboard the Olympic heard the distress calls and immediately changed course, responding to the Titanic that he was "lighting up all possible boilers". However, the Olympic was over 500 miles away from the distressed vessel.
When the Olympic was approximately 100 nautical miles from the Titanic, Captain Haddock received a message from Captain Rostron of the RMS Carpathia, explaining that continuing on course to Titanic would gain nothing, as: "All boats accounted for. About 675 souls saved [...] Titanic foundered about 2.20am."
Rostron requested that the message be forwarded to White Star and Cunard.
Saved by RMS Carpathia
The lifeboats on the Titanic could only accommodate half of the people on board, and if the ship had carried its full complement of approximately 3339 passengers and crew, only about a third of them could have been saved. In total, 710 people survived the disaster and were rescued by the Carpathia, which transported them to New York, the Titanic's intended destination. Tragically, 1514 people lost their lives.
The Olympic had no choice but to return to Southampton on April 21, cancelling all entertainment for the remainder of the journey out of respect for its sunken sister and the lives lost.
Rare Titanic bronze medal
RMS Carpathia and SS Titanic bronze medal awarded to crew member A Gilliam. It sold for £7000 at Noonans.
Also at auction this week at Noonans' (24% buyer’s premium) sale in London on July 17, was a rare RMS Carpathia and SS Titanic bronze medal.
It had been issued by Tiffany on behalf of the Titanic Relief Fund Committee and inscribed recto: ‘Presented to the Captain Officers & Crew of R.M.S. “Carpathia” in recognition of Gallant & Heroic Services from the Survivors of the S.S. “Titanic” April 15 1912’ with the name ‘A. Gilliam’ (a crew member).
Fourteen gold medals were given to the captain and senior officers of the Carpathia. The junior officers received silver ones and the rest of the crew bronze. This bronze version hammered down for £7000, against a pre-sale estimate of £2000-3000.
