The Titanic Commutator Issue 229

$15.00

Our First Digital Issue

Commutator No. 229, Spring 2nd Quarter
Membership Year 2020

Contents

Nazi Titanic

In 1942, a Nazi Titanic film was made in wartime Berlin. A warped propaganda version of the great ship’s sinking, its spectacular production went horribly awry and cast a chilling shadow over Berlin’s despondent community following the execution of its spunky film director Herbert Selpin. It was never released to the German wartime public.
By Brian A. Hawkins
Page 4

Remembering an Old Friend, Titanic Survivor, Marshall Drew

During this the world premiere of Raise the Titanic in Boston, an elderly gentleman with flowing white hair and a goatee inched forward and shook my hand. He was small in stature but extremely spry and he introduced himself as Marshall Drew, a Titanic survivor. I’d been corresponding with Drew since December of 1972 and it was an honor to finally meet him face to face. On June 6, 1986, he passed away. On December 26, 2003, a letter from a relative arrived. … Marshall grew up to be an artist and art teacher. After his death his oil paintings were inherited by my parents. I have just inherited them.…” She expressed the desire to donate the canvases to The Titanic Historical Society and she personally hand carried them to The Titanic Museum in Indian Orchard.
By Ed Kamuda
Page 11

Riddle of Elizabeth Dowse

Was Britannic’s Matron a misunderstood angel of mercy, who, if not quite in the league of Florence Nightingale, had nevertheless dedicated her life to a service and tradition that few outside of the military would ever be able to truly understand or choose for themselves?
By Simon Mills
Page 19

Lucille’s Dress   

The Lucy Duff Gordon created an “Admiral” dress on the eve of her Transatlantic crossing on the RMS Titanic. She wrote that it was an inspiration — the idea possibly being generated by her imminent maiden voyage departure for America on the largest ship ever built.
By Senan Molony
Page 35

Reminiscing on Queen Mary 2’s Maiden Voyage to New York

For many of us, eerie historic parallels were inevitable: Debut of the world’s largest passenger ship, a vessel awash with extravagant hyperbole scheduled for a maiden transatlantic crossing to New York in April. RMS Queen Mary 2 departed Southampton on the 16th of that month, only six days more than exactly 92 years after RMS Titanic sailed from the same port, en route to appalling grief off Cape Race.
By John Maxtone-Graham
Page 39

Book Reviews  

The Ship of Dreams; The Sinking of the Titanic and the End of the Edwardian Era
By Gareth Russell, review by Ray Lepien; Strangers On the Horizon-Titanic and Californian-A Forensic Approach By Samuel Halpern, review by Tad Fitch; Crimes and Survivors-A Reisden & Perdida Mystery By Sarah Smith, review by Ray Lepien
Page 47

Covers: Two works of art by Titanic survivor, Marshall Drew. Front: “Abandoned”, back, unnamed.

Top