The " Web" is the biggest "open all hours" reference library.
The many sites that provide fun, interest and entertainment.
Here are a few that I use and interest me.
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Having spoken in depth to someone who missed
sailing on the ship, she reached to the ripe old age of 101, and passed away in
her village of Kilbarchan with a smile on her face. She didn't receive a telegram
from the Queen, she received one from Ronald Reagan then President, (as she had
spent most of her life in service in the USA).
She spoke about the
disaster as if it was yesterday and since then I have been fascinated by this "piece of history" ever since.
This well informed site (click the picture) gives good clear information of what happened.
Photographs; passenger and crew lists; and hosts of other interesting details. One lesser known fact was that as soon as the ship sank, the crews wages were stopped because they now were deemed unemployed!
One of the largest internet Titanic resources: Titanic resources.
An author who "caught the bug" Bill Wormstedt's Titanic.
An interesting series of articles about various aspects of the disaster George Behe's Titanic titbits
Roy's model of the Titanic wreck is the most detailed seen so far. Roy Mengot's Titanic
The latest ship exhibition details and stories: The RMS Titanic inc.
From THE TIMES Monday January 11th 1954 COMET AIRLINER CRASHES IN MEDITERRANEAN .
I found out that Charlie was an ex WO1 and once leaving the army trained to be a deep sea diver, he then "rejoined" the services as part of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (in the process losing all his rank and becoming a rating. Those days these unique men went down using manual air pumps and the recognised brass diving helmet and leadened boots.
As you can read through the Comet story the part that showed the fatigue (at
the main cockpit window) was found by Charlie, he was given the British Empire Medal for his
efforts but being the man that he was he just stuck it in a cupboard. This was not to mention the gruesome
task of bringing the remaining bodies back up from the crash!
Incidentally John told me as a child he played with the medal but lost it (he
thinks in the coal bunker at home)... he
never told his father.
His father also was presented with a clock from St Margarets church in Johnstone and hailed a local hero.
Extract from the Times:.. Details of the salvage. .
Seasalvor:.. Photograph of the Seasalvor (Charlie's ship). .
Seasalvor:.. Another photograph of the Seasalvor. .
A few years later I took John to Duxford Airshow, I wanted to show him what a Comet looked like so proceeded to show him the aircraft that is on show there, his first time actually coming face to face what his father had went down into the murky depths to find.
Afterwards we started to walk through the airshow and I was stopped by a man ( I was wearing my kilt). He wanted to say well done showing a little bit of Scotland down at the airshow. I then went on to tell him about the reason I was there (showing John the Comet) and life being what it was, the man then shook John's hand and said to him thanks to your father I flew safely. It turned out that he was the training Captain with Dan Air and the aircraft he flew was the Comet.
So in a small way the bravery of Charlie finding this important piece of wreckage helped make pressurised air travel safer, sooner.
Charlie passed away peacefully 3 years ago in nursing home in his home town of Johnstone and right to the very end never mentioned this story.
A little tribute to the unmentioned brave man.
Listing of Royal Fleet Auxiliary BEM awards:.. Diver Charlie Docherty .
Want to know
what the number 1 pop music hit was in the USA or UK when you were born?
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Great novel ways to show the time on your screen, have a look.
Slipping lines to tell the time: Clock one.
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