THOMAS ANDREWS
Thomas (Tommy) Andrews was born into a wealthy Ulster family. His uncle was Lord Pirrie, head of Harland & Wolff. Andrews joined Harland & Wolff at the age of 16 as an apprentice. He served his time and was probably his uncle’s intended successor by the time the Titanic was being built.
Andrews took over as chief designer of the Titanic after Carlisle left following a row with Pirrie over the number of lifeboats. When the Captain called Andrews to the bridge to tell him that they had hit an iceberg, Andrews was able to calculate the time left afloat to within minutes. Survivor reports consistently say that he was more concerned with the safety of others than his own and that he helped many people before going down with the ship, standing on the bridge next to the Captain.
He was 39 and married with a young daughter.
RODERICK CHISHOLM
Roderick Chisholm was Scottish by birth and had moved to Belfast in 1892. He was the chief draughtsman for the Titanic and Olympic. He was a skilled and trusted workman who was also a great linguist. As such he won a place on the Guarantee Group. Reportedly he didn’t want to travel on the Titanic but had no choice once he’d been selected. He is said to have liked the Olympic but had ‘a bad feeling’ about the Titanic.
He was 40 and married with a daughter and a son.
ALFIE CUNNINGHAM
Alfie worked as an apprentice fitter. He was just 16 when he started working on the Titanic. His father had died and his mother relied on him to bring home the wages for the family. He was the new man of the family. In a terrible mix up, initial reports claimed that Alfie had survived. This was because there was another A Cunningham onboard who was employed as a steward. That A Cunningham did survive but Alfie didn’t.
Alfie was 21 and was survived by his mother, three brothers and two sisters.
ARTIE (ANTHONY) FROST
Artie Frost was employed as a foreman fitter. The Titanic was his first position as a foreman. He had to wait to get the job until his father had retired. He had joined Harland & Wolff as an apprentice fitter aged 14 and worked his way up. He supervised the fitting of the machinery of the Titanic and Olympic and was well respected. He was last seen making his way down to the engine rooms after the Titanic struck the iceberg.
He was 38 and married with four children.
TOMMY MILLAR
Tommy Millar served his apprenticeship with Harland & Wolff and then worked for them for eight years. Disturbed by the sectarian clashes in the city he dreamed of a new life in America. A few months before the Titanic’s maiden voyage Tommy’s wife, Jeannie, died. He was left to bring up their two small sons. Tommy decided to apply for a job with the White Star Line as a member of the crew. He thought that way he could sail to America more quickly and start finding a new home there for himself and his sons.
In what turned out to be a fatal move, Tommy transferred from the Gothland to the Titanic at the last minute because they were short of staff. He was employed as an assistant deck engineer. His work mates in the Guarantee Group must have been delighted that one of the people they’d worked alongside to build the Titanic was also onboard.
Tommy was 30 and survived by his two sons Ruddick and Tommy.