Jack Phillips and Harold Bride

[joshua]

I was doing a little studying on Harold Bride and I have a couple of questions. First, I noticed that one of Bride children was named John "Jack". Was he named after Jack Phillips? My other question is, are there any descendants of Bride still living?

[VW1956]

Hello Joshua. I know that Harold Bride got married in 1919 and had three children. I would guess that there is a very good chance that the one named Jack would have been after Jack Phillips. As to whether any of the children are still with us chances are there not but it is not impossible. That would put them in there 80's and that is quite possible. Am sure that some of Harlod Brides grandchildren are still here. I have often wondered what H Bride sold while he was a travelling saleman. Ken.

[Daniel Lyddon]

Hi everyone,

I've signed up to promote & research my short film Moore's Code (posted in the film section) and I'd like to know more about Titanic's wireless officers. I've read that they were paid directly by the Marconi Company so that they were actually Marconi employees rather than employed by the White Star Line. Would this have been some kind of sub-contracting or were Phillips and Bride just as much a part of the White Star crew as everyone else on the ship?

The film's script contains some of the basic stories I've found out about the goings on in the Marconi Room: Captain Smith allowing them to leave their posts, the stoker trying to steal the life jacket, and of course the various different messages that went back and forth between the ships. Are there any other stories out there specific to the wireless operators that I have missed? In his testimony afterwards Bride seems confused about the discrepancies in the times quoted - I wondered whether maybe this is an example of how manic the atmosphere was in the room (and understandably so).

I'd be grateful if any of you could share some anecdotes about information that I might have missed.

Cheers,

Daniel.

[VW1956]

Hello Daniel. I dont think that I could add anything that you probably already found. But Jack Phillips and Harold Bride must have lived for the new wireless invention. There bed was right in the next room so the sounds of the various messages would have been clicking in there heads all the time they were asleep. The set broke down earlier in the voyage and they managed to fix it. Dont know where you live but the guy that lives in the house where Harold Bride lives welcomes people interested in Titanic. Walking through the front door where Harold Bride must have passed thousands of times gave me a buzz. All the best with your film. Ken.

[Daniel Lyddon]

Thanks Ken - I hadn't heard about the set breaking down - maybe that's something we'll be able to reference - I'll look into it.

Daniel

[Dave Gittins]

Phillips and Bride were part of the crew and signed articles putting them under Captain Smith's control. They were paid by both White Star and Marconi. On some ships the radio men were only paid a token shilling a month by the owners, to make them part of the crew. Many think their first loyalty was to Marconi, because sending private messages for passengers was profitable.

In my view, the operators didn't use much gumption. There was supposed to be a messenger boy to take messages to the bridge, but the operators did this themselves and not all messages got through.

The radio broke down when a wire shorted against a metal part. They finished fixing it in the early hours of 14 April, after looking in the wrong places at first.

Harold Bride is one of the worst witnesses in the story. Not only did he tell different versions of times, but his tale of the stoker varied too. There are also various versions of the death of Phillips. It's a shame that so much evidence comes from him.

[Daniel Lyddon]

Hi Dave, thanks for the info,

I've read since posting that because they were paid by Marconi they spent most of their time actually separately from the White Star Crew (aside from meals etc.) - the bedroom behind the Marconi Room meaning that essentially they would always be near their posts. I agree that the private messages were profitable...although not how much so. It stands to reason that Phillips would've spent more time wiring these through to Cape Race than heeding the ice warnings.

I found Harold Bride's statements fascinating - obviously they're pretty much a primary source for me (at the moment...) - I would've thought that some details would get mixed up due to the shock of the experience but he did seem to vary quite a lot. Phillips' death worries me a bit because I originally thought that the story of him on Lifeboat B was essentially gospel. I guess I'm going to have to pick one to go with. It's only part of a line referring to it at the end, so it's not actually shown, but it's important all the same.

[joshua]

Daniel, here is an independent film on the Marconi Operators maybe similar to what you're trying to do. I put it up here hoping it'd give you a few ideas for your film.

[VW1956]

Hello. Just learnt thanks to a post Andrew put in the news section that a decendent of Harold Bride gave a talk to a school in London. Ken.

[VW1956]

Hello. Has anyone heard of either Harold Bride or Jack Phillips going to other parts of the ship as I have only read of them of being either in the radio room or there room next door. They were from accounts kept busy so did they have there meals in the radio room. Ken.

[joshua]

Bride went down to the 1st Class Dining Room at least once to get food. Bride also would have delivered messages to the Bridge such as ice warnings. Their 24/7 work would have limited their free time though, especially after the Wireless Telegraph broke and messages backed up on the 13th until they could fix it 6 hours later.

[VW1956]

Hello. In one of my local papers was a story about the great-nephew of Harold Bride (George Sinclair) coming over from Canada to give a talk on Harold Bride to the school where Harold went to as a boy. It says that the history society of Langley Park School have been reseaching the former pupil. There is now a plaque to Harold Bride at Langley Park School. Wish I had known about this before. Ken.