Titanic’s first officer had ‘queer feeling’ about ship

The second in command during the ill-fated Titanic voyage described having a “queer feeling” about the ship, letters due to be sold at auction reveal.

Private letters written by Henry Wilde – number two to Captain Edward Smith on the infamous liner – reveal his misgivings about his posting to the ship.

The letters, which are going under the hammer on Saturday in Devizes, Wiltshire, were written over a 20-year period and encompass Wilde’s career with the White Star Line – from being a junior officer to his transfer to Titanic as Capt Smith’s second in charge.

The highlight is the final letter which Wilde, who was chief officer, wrote while aboard the Olympic before he left for the Titanic. Written on March 31, 1912, he describes how he was to be given command of the Cymric but is disappointed to not be taking it and is being transferred to the Titanic instead.

He is “awfully disappointed to find arrangements for my taking command of the Cymric have altered. I am now going to join the Titanic until some other ship turns up for me”.

Wilde only signed on to the Titanic on April 9, and reported for duty at 6am the following morning – the day of sailing.

In a letter to his sister, written on board Titanic and posted at Queenstown, Wildegavesomeindication that he had misgivings about the new ship.

“I still don’t like this ship . . . I have a queer feeling about it,” he wrote.

The maiden crossing went smoothly until the Titanic struck an iceberg on April 14, killing 1,500 crew and passengers, including Wilde. Wilde had taken charge of the even-numbered lifeboats and oversaw their loading and lowering into the water.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge, of Henry Aldridge and Son, said: “It is without doubt one of the finest Titanic-related letters, written by one of the liner’s most senior officers on Olympic stationery.

“Wilde is mentioned in survivor recollections of the sinking, but his activities remain something of a mystery. What is certain is he worked diligently to load the boats once the seriousness of the situation was clear to him.”

The collection of letters is estimated to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000 and forms part of an auction of more than 250 lots of Titanic, White Star and ocean liner-related collectibles.