All on an April Evening

 1912 – 14^th-15^th April.

Joseph Groves Boxall (1884-1967) was born in Hull and chose a career at sea. Attaining his Extra Master status from Trinity House in 1907 and following 5 years with the White Star Line on the Atlantic Crossings in their passenger fleet vessels he was appointed as Fourth Officer on Titanic for its maiden voyage.

The following is a monologue edited heavily from the evidence under oath given by Joseph Boxall on the 13^th Day of the Enquiry into the tragic sinking of Titanic. The Enquiry took place from May 2^nd to July 3^rd 1912.  There was Legal representation on behalf of many groups affected by the tragedy and a right to cross examine the witnesses.

“I was on watch from 4pm to 6pm in the evening on the Sunday with the Chief and Sixth Officers.

The course was altered to S36W true at 5.50pm.

I had seen reports in the Chartroom of ice and that conveyed in my mind that the ship would shortly be in the region of ice. The chart had been marked two or three days previously and although I don’t recall I have been told that I marked the chart between 4 and 6 that day, On returning to the Bridge for my 8pm to midnight duty I didn’t see any further marks on the chart.

It was a clear night and I was making stellar observations. It didn’t occur to me that the ship was entering the neighbourhood of ice.

I was coming out of the Officers Quarters and heard three bells which marked the sighting of the iceberg. Just after that I heard the order “hard a-starboard” and when back on the Bridge the telegraph indicated “full speed astern” and I saw the First Officer pulling the lever of the watertight doors.

Captain Smith was on deck and asked the First Officer what had happened. He replied that we had struck ice. He had tried to round it to Port but it was too close. Putting the engines astern was all that he could do.

I went to the Starboard but I could not see the iceberg. Going down to the Third Class Accommodation of ‘F’ Deck I saw no damage but back on deck I saw ice and took a small piece from a man’s hand. The Commander told me to find the Carpenter who told me the ship was making water fast. One of the Mail Clerks said that the small hold was full of water and that the watertight door was closed.

I reported to Captain Smith on the Bridge. The other Officers were called and that was between 20 to 30 minutes after the accident.

The Captain gave the order to prepare the boats and I was assigned to Number One on the Port side.

Then I heard someone report a sighting of a light ahead and I saw it. On the Chartroom Map I worked out the position and after notifying the Captain he told me to take it to the Marconi Room. The lights were the two masthead of a steamer. I sent up between half a dozen and a dozen distress rockets to signal the steamer and then we began Morsing. She was about five miles away and turning around very slowly. The Captain saw her stern light so she was actually going away from us.

 

Titanic was standing still with engines stopped. I kept sending up the rockets for about half an hour after.

I was then sent away in Boat 2 with between 25 and 30 women, several children and one male passenger as well as crew members of a Steward and Sculleryman. As the boat had been lowered I could see many passengers on the deck and filling Boat 4.

I noticed that Boat 1 had got away and the collapsible boat was being made ready. I had an emergency lamp on my boat but others did not, I had inspected the lifeboats in Belfast.

There were no further orders about what to do after getting onto the water. I was off a short distance but someone shouted for me to come back to the Starboard side. That proved difficult because there weren’t enough persons to row. About 200 yards off the foundering ship there was a little suction from the settling down of the vessel which could be seen by watching the deck lights and for that and the risk of being rushed by passengers and overwhelmed I though it too dangerous to go any nearer.

I pulled away further in a SE direction about half a mile.

I did not see the ship sink but heard cries after. I could not see any other boats as they had gone in a northerly direction.

 I did not see anyone in the water and there was no-one to pick up.

At daybreak I saw a lot of icebergs.

The lifeboat of Joseph Boxall and its survivors was the first from the Titanic to be picked up by The Carpathia as it arrived on the scene having responded to the distress signals.

Joseph Boxall had been unwell during his time giving evidence and Counsel for the Enquiry suggested he sat for the duration. He later developed pleurisy no doubt exacerbated by his own ordeal. He returned to the sea serving in the rank of Lieutenant on Torpedo Boats and Shore Duty during the First World War and in the 1920’s on Passenger Liners. After retirement from the service he led a quiet life but to the surprise of many who knew him he was an on-set Consultant in 1958 for the iconic Titanic movie “ A Night to Remember” .

Boxall requested his ashes be scattered according to his calculations on the fateful night of the location where Titanic sank.

The former family home on Westbourne Avenue, Hull has a Blue Plaque in his name.