Deck Crew of the RMS Titanic: Complete List with Roles, Ages, and Fates
The deck crew included 1 Boatswain who had seniority over all the unlicensed deck crew, 29 able seamen, 2 Boatswain Mates, 2 Master-at-Arms, 7 Quartermasters, 2 Window Cleaners, and 6 Lookouts.
🌊🚢 Review and Summary: Deck Crew of the RMS Titanic
This page on the GG Archives offers a remarkably detailed listing of the deck crew members aboard RMS Titanic, complete with their roles, ages, and fate after the disaster (whether they survived and on which lifeboat, or perished).
⚓️ For teachers and students, it provides an extraordinary primary-source-style reference for studying the human side of the Titanic story. Students can see the real people who performed essential functions on board—from boatswains to lookouts to window cleaners.
📜 For genealogists, these lists are vital for tracing relatives who served as crew. The breakdown by rank, age, and lifeboat also helps interpret shipping records and historical death registries.
🧭 For historians, the page offers a granular view of Titanic’s labor organization on deck. It reveals how many were responsible for lookouts, quartermaster duties, boat launching, or cleaning windows—underscoring the scale of operations on a massive ocean liner.
✨ The page is especially engaging because it connects the human tragedy to very specific roles and names, preventing the scale of the loss from being just an abstraction.
The Titanic Political Cartoon: A Tragedy Featuring a Woman Persuaded to Board a Lifeboat. Drawn by Allman. Published by the Toledo News-Bee. Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. | GGA Image ID # 1091a8d213
This stark, emotive cartoon serves as a primary visual artifact of the era’s public reaction, adding an evocative, critical perspective for students learning about media responses to the disaster.
👥 Deck Crew Members
- Mr. James Anderson (40) Able Seaman [LB-16]
A seasoned sailor who survived on Lifeboat 16, Anderson would have been critical in rowing and calming passengers during the evacuation. - Mr. John Anderson (41) Able Seaman [LB-16]
Likely unrelated to James, but of similar age and rank. Also in Lifeboat 16, helping ensure safe launch and navigation. - Mr. Ernest Edward Archer (36) Able Seaman [LB-3]
Survived in Lifeboat 3, possibly involved in launching starboard lifeboats under Officer Murdoch's orders. - Mr. Joseph Henry Bailey (43) Master-at-arms [LB-16]
A shipboard law-enforcement figure; his survival suggests he helped keep order among evacuees in Lifeboat 16. - Mr. T. Bradley (29) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished, body not recovered; likely tasked with launching lifeboats or standing watch on the fateful night. - Mr. Walter T. Brice (42) Able Seaman [LB-11]
Survived Lifeboat 11; helped manage a heavily loaded lifeboat launched from midship. - Mr. Arthur John Bright (41) Quartermaster [LB-D]
Survived on Collapsible D; Quartermasters were trained helmsmen, crucial for rowing and steering lifeboats. - Mr. Edward John Buley (27) Able Seaman [LB-10]
Survivor; likely part of the orderly evacuation from the port side with Officer Lightoller. - Mr. Frederick Clench (34) Able Seaman [LB-12]
Survivor in Lifeboat 12; may have transferred between lifeboats in rescue operations. - Mr. George James Clench (31) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished; might have been working on lifeboat preparation during the chaos.
- Mr. Frank Couch (28) Able Seaman [253-MB]
Body recovered by CS Mackay-Bennett; evidence of the maritime world's efforts to honor the lost. - Mr. Stephen James Davis (39) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished; part of the deck team who faced impossible odds that night. - Mr. Alfred Frank Evans (24) Lookout [LB-15]
Survivor; lookouts were posted in the crow’s nest—possibly one of those who saw the iceberg. - Mr. Frank Oliver Evans (24) Able Seaman [LB-10]
Survivor; lookouts were posted in the crow’s nest—possibly one of those who saw the iceberg. - Mr. Frederick Fleet (24) Lookout [LB-6]
Survivor and the lookout who spotted the iceberg, shouting the famous "Iceberg, right ahead!" - Mr. John Foley (44) Storekeeper [LB-4]
Survivor; his role was usually in charge of ship supplies, yet he was launched in a lifeboat. - Mr. James Forward (27) Able Seaman [LB-16]
Survivor; part of Lifeboat 16's critical crew. - Mr. Albert M. Haines (31) Boatswain [LB-9]
Survived; the senior unlicensed deck officer supervising lifeboat crews. - Mr. William Harder (39) Window Cleaner [LB-14]
Survivor; his presence reveals the scale of staff required even for ship aesthetics. - Mr. Samuel Ernest Hemming (43) Lamp Trimmer [LB-4]
Survivor; responsible for maintaining lamps—a vital job before electric redundancy.
- Mr. Robert Hichens (29) Quartermaster [LB-6]
Survivor, famously at the tiller when Titanic hit the iceberg, and controversial commander of Lifeboat 6. - Mr. George Alfred Hogg (29) Lookout [LB-7]
Survivor; lookout on duty that night, part of vital iceberg watch. - Mr. Harry Holman (27) Able Seaman [LB-7]
Survivor; contributed to the safe launch of Lifeboat 7. - Mr. Robert John Hopkins (40) Able Seaman [LB-13]
Survivor; his role on Lifeboat 13 included caring for overfilled loads. - Mr. Albert Edward James Horswill (33) Able Seaman [LB-1]
Survivor; helped load and row Lifeboat 1, controversially underfilled. - Mr. Sidney James Humphreys (48) Quartermaster [LB-11]
Survivor; likely responsible for steering Lifeboat 11 safely. - Mr. John Hall Hutchinson (26) Carpenter/Joiner [170-MB]
Body recovered; carpenters were essential for ship repairs and damage control. - Mr. Archie Jewell (23) Lookout [LB-7]
Survivor; another lookout on duty that night, lived to testify at inquiries. - Mr. Thomas William Jones (32) Able Seaman [LB-8]
Survivor; helped load and manage a port-side lifeboat. - Mr. Thomas W. King (43) Master-at-arms [P-BNR]
Perished; responsible for discipline aboard, possibly helping control crowding on deck.
- Mr. Reginald Robinson Lee (41) Lookout [LB-13]
Survivor; was in the crow’s nest with Fleet when iceberg was sighted. - Mr. William A. Lucas (25) Able Seaman [LB-D]
Survivor; launched in last collapsible lifeboat, highlighting desperate final efforts. - Mr. William Henry Lyons (26) Able Seaman [LB-4]
Survivor; supported evacuation and lifeboat handling. - Mr. David Matherson (30) Able Seaman [192-MB]
Survivor; supported evacuation and lifeboat handling. - Mr. Montague Vincent Mathais (27) Mess Steward [123-MB]
Body recovered; stewards often served passengers right until the end. - Mr. John Maxwell (31) Carpenter/Joiner [P-BNR]
Perished; likely tried to stem flooding in early damage control efforts. - Mr. William McCarthy (47) Able Seaman [LB-4]
Survivor; contributed to orderly lifeboat work. - Mr. James R. McGough (25) Able Seaman [LB-9]
Survivor; helped launch and row Lifeboat 9.
- Mr. George Alfred Moore (32) Able Seaman [LB-3]
Survivor; starboard evacuation support. - Mr. Alfred Nichols (42) Boatswain [P-BNR]
Perished; senior deck crew coordinating lifeboats and crew in chaos. - Dr. William Francis Norman O'Loughlin (62) Surgeon [P-BNR]
Perished; the senior doctor onboard, ministered to passengers amid panic.
- Mr. Alfred Olliver (27) Quartermaster [LB-5]
Survivor; expert helmsman for Lifeboat 5. - Mr. Frank Osman (28) Able Seaman [LB-2]
Survivor; contributed to a successful launch. - Mr. Charles H. Pascoe (43) Able Seaman [LB-8]
Survivor; port-side evacuation. - Mr. Walter John Perkis (37) Quartermaster [LB-4]
Survivor; crucial role as lifeboat coxswain. - Mr. William Chapman Peters (26) Able Seaman [LB-9]
Survivor; part of Lifeboat 9’s working crew. - Mr. John Thomas Poingdestre (33) Able Seaman [LB-12]
Survivor; contributed to Lifeboat 12’s safe rescue. - Mr. George Thomas Rowe (32) Quartermaster [LB-C]
Survivor; used Morse lamp to signal Carpathia. - Mr. Robert James Sawyer (30) Window Cleaner [P-BNR]
Perished; a reminder of Titanic’s vast service staff. - Mr. Joseph George Scarrott (33) Able Seaman [LB-14]
Survivor; skilled seaman helping calm passengers. - Dr. John Edward Simpson (37) Assistant Surgeon [P-BNR]
Perished; worked beside O’Loughlin in Titanic’s hospital.
- Mr. William Smith (26) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished; one of many who stayed at posts too long. - Mr. George Thomas Macdonald Symons (24) Lookout [LB-1]
Survivor; lookout duties critical that icy night. - Mr. Frederick Tamlyn (23) Mess Steward [P-BNR]
Perished; young service worker caught in the disaster. - Mr. C. Taylor (35) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished; part of the deck crew who fought to save lives. - Mr. Bertram Terrell (20) Able Seaman [P-BNR]
Perished; one of the youngest deck crew. - Mr. Philip Francis Vigott (32) Able Seaman [LB-13]
Survivor; helped rescue from an overcrowded lifeboat. - Mr. William Clifford Weller (30) Able Seaman [LB-7]
Survivor; midship evacuation efforts. - Mr. Walter Wynn (41) Quartermaster [LB-9]
Survivor; experienced seaman essential for navigation.
⚙️ Highlights of Content
✅ Clear role-by-role breakdown of the entire deck crew.
✅ Age and fate of each crew member (survived and lifeboat number, or perished with details about body recovery).
✅ Extensive legend explaining abbreviations for body recovery ships, lifeboats, and cemeteries in Halifax.
✅ Historical context about the recovery and burial of Titanic victims, adding important closure to the human story.
📚 Essay Inspiration for Students
✏️ Teachers can encourage students to use this page to:
✅ Research individual Titanic crew stories.
✅ Examine labor hierarchies aboard early 20th-century ocean liners.
✅ Analyze class and occupational risk in maritime disasters.
✅ Consider the ethics of ship safety and lifeboat access.
Students might write essays comparing the Titanic's crew structure to modern cruise ships, or analyzing media coverage using the featured cartoon!
Legend For Survivor or Lost Passengers and Crew Members
- LB-# or A-D - Survivor on Lifeboat 1-16 or Collapsible Lifeboat A-D
- P-BNR - Perished, Body Not Recovered or Body Not Identified
- MB – CS Mackay-Bennett (bodies 1–306)
- M – CS Minia (bodies 307–323)
- MM – CGS Montmagny (bodies 326–329)
- A – SS Algerine (body 330)
- O – RMS Oceanic (bodies 331–333)
- I – SS Ilford (body 334)
- OT – SS Ottawa (body 335)
Numbers 324 and 325 were unused, and the six bodies buried at sea by the Carpathia also went unnumbered. Several recovered bodies were unidentifiable and thus not all numbers are matched with a person.
Upon recovery, the bodies of 209 identified and unidentified victims of the sinking were brought to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of those, 121 were taken to the non-denominational Fairview Lawn Cemetery, 59 were repatriated, 19 were buried in the Roman Catholic Mount Olivet Cemetery, and 10 were taken to the Jewish Baron de Hirsch Cemetery. The bodies of the remaining recovered victims were either delivered to family members or buried at sea.
🧭 Conclusion
This GG Archives page is an exceptionally detailed resource perfect for lesson plans, genealogical research, and historical study. It honors the Titanic’s crew not just as statistics, but as people with roles, families, and fates—an invaluable reminder of the human cost of maritime disaster.
✍️ Students, consider using these materials to write essays exploring courage, duty, and tragedy on the high seas! 🌊🚢📚
