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George Beauchamp (sailor)
British sailor, RMS Titanic survivor From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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George William Beauchamp (9 March 1888[1][2][3] – 5 April 1965[4]) was a British sailor who survived the sinking of the RMS Titanic where worked as a stoker.
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He was born in Totton, England, UK, in March 1888, the son of George Beauchamp and Maria Jane Walton. He had five siblings.[1][5]
Titanic
On the Titanic he was paid £6 a month.
He later recalled that the water was up to his feet. Beauchamp ran topside and positioned on the starboard deck. Beauchamp's boat was later rescued by the Carpathia around 6.30 am.[6][7]
He said at the British inquiry after the collision, the watertight doors and dampers began to block and that an order came to "stop" (it all). He testified that as a stoker, he was given the order to draw fires in the boilers (the fires that normally kept the ship's steam machinery running). After drawing the fires, he was relieved and escaped using a ladder. He later recalled helping ladies and children into the boats before receiving the order to board lifeboat #13. He said around 60 to 70 people were on board, including many men. He also said the boat had no lantern.[6]
British inquiry
Beauchamp gave evidence at the British Wreck Commissioner's inquiry before counsel Raymond Asquith,[8][6] where he responded to questions with blunt responses.[6] Excerpts:
"I went ... on to the boat deck and across to the starboard side, I had one foot on the deck and one on the lifeboat and I was helping ladies and children into the lifeboat. We had difficulty keeping the lifeboat away from the ship's side and prevent[ing] water coming in."
"We pulled on the oars to get away as far as possible from the suction of the ship as it went down. I saw the ship go down bow first and I could still see the stern and then that went too. It was a roar like thunder as it went down and I heard cries as the ship sank."
"We would have gone back for others but we were full up."[6][8]
Later life
George Beauchamp continued to work at sea into the 1920s and beyond. He later served on Cape Mail boats for the Union Line as a fireman.[9]
Later in life, Beauchamp became a docker in Southampton.[10]
He became friends with Bertram Vere Dean, who was the brother of the last Titanic survivor, Millvina Dean.[1]
Death
Beauchamp died in April 1965 at the age of 77.[10]
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