An important letter from Second Officer Lightoller to his wife informing her of his need to stay in the US to assist with questions in relation to the Titanic enquiry, postmarked 24th April 1912,

bidding is closed

Description

24 by 19.5cm (9 1/2 by 7 3/4)

hand written in black ink on United States Senate headed paper, reading:

My dearest

I am at present waiting for one of the Senators & do not know if I shall have another opportunity to drop you a line this mail - I have a ** full of letters to answer - you can understand, that being the only surviving off, that stayed to the last, I am delayed with requests for interviews & letters * some of the poor folk. *** I am giving my time wholly to assisting others and I know you will willingly want** in the knowledge that you still have your dear ones with you. Herb

Contained within a matching enveloped, stamped and postmarked.

Provenance

Mrs Sylvia Lightoller

By direct descent to the present owner

Literature

Charles Lightoller was one of the 43 members of the crew who were detained in the US at Senator Smith's request following immediate investigation into the sinking of the ship. As Lightoller explains in his letter, being the most senior officer who survived, he had a number of questions to answer. In total it is believed that Lightoller answered some 1600 questions and spent more than 50 hours on the witness stand.

Patrick Stenson, Titanic Voyager, Devon, 1999