Titanic Historical Society Commutator 249
THS Commutator No. 249, Spring 2nd Quarter, April to June 2025
Contents
S.S. Amerika – The World’s Largest Ship – A New Standard of Luxury – From Ed Kamuda’s files-
Amerika, a steel-hulled, twin-screw, 668 foot, 22,225 gross-ton steam passenger liner built by Harland and Wolff, was launched on April 20, 1905 at Belfast. Built for the Hamburg America Line for the Hamburg-Dover-Cherbourg-New York service, she was the largest ship in the world until 1906. In many ways Amerika resembled the White Star liners Celtic and Cedric, although Amerika was far more luxurious.
HMS Birkenhead -”Women and Children First” Most commonly associated with the sinking of the Titanic, the origin actually dated back to the lesser known tragedy of the sinking of HMS Birkenhead
In the long roll of disasters at sea the loss of HMS Birkenhead is remembered because it is an example of mass discipline. Under the
command of Captain Robert Salmond, HMS Birkenhead left Portsmouth in January 1852 taking troops to fight in the Frontier War in South Africa. Reinforcements and drafts of troops were continually needed to keep the military strength up.
How I Was Saved from the Titanic: A Titanic Survivor’s Story by Charlotte Collyer
Mrs Charlotte Collyer’s article, “How I Was Saved from the Titanic [A Titanic survivor’s story],” printed seven weeks ago in the Semi-Monthly Magazine Section, (San Francisco Call, May 26, 1912) still holds the record of being the most graphic and most intensely human
document relating to that shocking disaster that has yet been published.
Father Thomas Byles – A Hero of the Titanic – The Full Story that has occurred has gone with him and them into the depths of the ocean and will never be known in this world by Father Steward Foster – Chapter 6 of his biography
The Edmundian obituary, referring to Byles’ presence aboard the Titanic, commented: ‘The prospect of sailing in the maiden voyage of the largest ship afloat was not without its interest, and that of a kind which would have appealed to Father Byles’ mind.’
On Easter Monday, two days before Father Byles embarked on the liner, he had been visited at Ongar [a small town in rural Essex
where he was the Catholic Parish Priest] by Monsignor Watson. As his friend recalled, Father Byles was packing his luggage.
The Loss of a Dear Friend by Don Lynch
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John Alan Hauschild, a devoted husband and father who enriched the lives of those around him. Titanic Historical Society members will remember John for occasional contributions to the Commutator, and in particular his participation at several THS conventions where he arranged and conducted the memorial services which concluded the events. As a long-time funeral director he brought a great deal of professionalism and sincerity to these services.
White Star’s Belgic III Has Deserters – Vintage Vignettes
Father Browne’s Camera – A fuzzy Picture- by Jack Leslie White
It seemed like it would be so easy. One of the world’s great photographers. The most famous ship in history. Iconic photographs. While much is known about the photographer, how the precious photos came to be taken, little has been written about the camera that captured these cherished and haunting images. As an amateur photographer in the digital age, I became curious about the equipment used by Father Francis Browne to visually document his famous voyage on the Titanic. With all that has been written about the photographer and the photographs, I thought that i t would be a simple matter to find information about the camera. I was so wrong
Covers:
Front: Father Thomas Byles (THS collection)
Back: White Star’s latest queen of the ocean (Private collection)
