Titanic Engineers' Memorial

The Titanic Engineers' Memorial is a memorial in East (Andrews) Park, Southampton, United Kingdom, to the engineers who died in the Titanic disaster on 15 April 1912. The bronze and granite memorial was originally unveiled by Sir Archibald Denny, president of the Institute of Marine Engineers[1] on 22 April 1914.[2] The event was attended by an estimated 100,000 Southampton residents.[1][2][3][4]

The memorial to the engineers of the RMS Titanic

History
Goddess Nike
Statue of the goddess Nike and carvings representing the engineer officers

Joseph Bell was the Chief Engineer Officer on the RMS Titanic. His staff consisted of 24 engineers, 6 electrical engineers, two boilermakers, a plumber and a clerk. None survived the sinking.[5]

The monument was originally erected with funding from worldwide donations.[6][7] It was designed and built by Whitehead and Son of the Imperial Works, Kennington Oval in London.[8] Ferdinand Victor Blundstone was the sculptor.[9] It is officially a Grade II listed building.[8] It features a bronze statue of Nike, the Greek Winged Goddess of Victory, created by Trieste-born sculptor Romeo Rathmann, and carvings which represent the engineer officers of the ship, who died in the disaster.[10][11][12]

On a sunny afternoon on 22 April 1914, 100,000 people gathered in Andrews Park, Southampton to witness the unveiling of the memorial to the engineers who lost their lives on the Titanic two years earlier.[8] The bronze and granite structure was draped in the Union flag. Unveiling the statue, Sir Archibald Denny said:

"By the manner of their deaths [the engineers] carried out one of the finest traditions of our race."[8]

"They must have known that pumping could do no more than delay the final catastrophe, yet they stuck pluckily to their duty."[8]

"Driven back from boiler-room to boiler-room, fighting for every inch of draught to give time for the launching of the boats, not one of those brave officers was saved."[8]

The monument bears the following inscription:[2][3][12][13][14]

List of the 35 engineer officers who died in the
RMS Titanic disaster
Inscription on Titanic Engineers' Memorial, Southampton
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN

THIS. THAT A MAN LAY DOWN HIS

LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS

ST. JOHN 15TH CH. 13TH V

TO THE MEMORY OF THE ENGINEER OFFICERS

OF THE R.M.S "TITANIC" WHO SHOWED

THEIR HIGH CONCEPTION OF DUTY AND THEIR

HEROISM BY REMAINING AT THEIR POSTS

15TH APRIL 1912.

ERECTED BY THEIR FELLOW ENGINEERS AND FRIENDS

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD

The monument was restored in 2010 in a joint venture between Southampton City Council and TV production company Twenty Twenty Television.[15] Almost opposite the main memorial, on the corner of Cumberland Place and London Road, is the Titanic Musicians' Memorial to Wallace Hartley and the other musicians who played on the Titanic.

References

Notes
  1. Clarkson, Andrew (2011). "Titanic-Titanic.com • View topic – Titanic Engineers memorial to be unveiled today". titanic-titanic.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2011. larkson
  2. Titanic-Titanic (2011). "Titanic Memorials – Engineers Memorial Southampton". titanic-titanic.com. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  3. Titanic Today (2011). "Titanic Engineers Memorial Southampton | Titanic Today". the-titanic.com. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  4. elettra (2011). "Titanic Remembered – in Southampton". maritime.elettra.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2011. bronze and granite memorial
  5. Griffiths, Dr Denis. "he Engineers lost aboard Titanic". Universidad de Córdoba. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  6. BBC (2011). "BBC News – Southampton Titanic Engineers Memorial is restored". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2011. The original monument was funded with worldwide donations.
  7. BBC (2011). "BBC News – Southampton Titanic Engineers Memorial unveiled". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2011. The original monument was funded with worldwide donations.
  8. Hamilton, Keith (2011). "Memorial for brave Titanic engineers to be restored (From Daily Echo)". dailyecho.co.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2011. On a sunny afternoon in April, 1914, people flocked to St Andrew's Park in Southampton to witness the unveiling of the memorial to the engineers who lost their lives on the Titanic two years earlier
  9. Maxtone-Graham, John. (2012). Titanic Tragedy: A New Look at the Lost Liner. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 180–183. ISBN 0-393-08240-7.
  10. Southampton Tourist Information Centre (2006). "New Titanic Trail 1.pdf (application/pdf Object)" (PDF). visit-southampton.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  11. Robbins, Karen (2011). "Writer's Wanderings: Southampton – Titanic Memorials". karenrobbins.blogspot.com. Retrieved 24 May 2011. The carvings represent the engineer officers on the ship, all of whom died.
  12. Maritime Quest (2009). "MaritimeQuest – Titanic Engineers Memorial Southampton, England". maritimequest.com. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  13. Mainwood, David (2008). "RMS Titanic Engineers Memorial, Southampton:: OS grid SU4112 :: Geograph Britain and Ireland – photograph every grid square!". geograph.org.uk. Retrieved 23 May 2011.
  14. Hampshire Library and Information Service – Hampshire County Council (2011). "The Engineers memorial". thamespilot.org.uk. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  15. Hamilton, Keith (2011). "Engineers memorial to be unveiled today after restoration by television company (From This is Hampshire)". thisishampshire.net. Retrieved 23 May 2011. Southampton City Council and TV production company Twenty Twenty Television

Bibliography
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