This video brings to life the extraordinary events of May 1912 when the British enquiry into the Titanic disaster began.
Here you can watch the evidence given by Lady Duff-Gordon who, along with her husband, had the distinction of being one of only two passengers interviewed in the British enquiry. Not because they’d seen something extraordinary during the sinking but, rather, because they, along with ten others, made their escape in a lifeboat designed to hold 40 people.
Following their escape from the sinking ship Lucy commented to her secretary, Laura Francatelli “There is your beautiful nightdress, gone.” One of the firemen in the boat, annoyed by the comment replied that the Duff-Gordon’s could replace all they’d lost but that the crew had all lost their entire kit and their pay ended when Titanic went down.
Afterwards, on board Carpathia, Sir Cosmo and Lady Duff-Gordon presented each member of the boat crew with a cheque (purportedly to replace their lost kits) and had a picture taken of the boat’s survivors. It was this gift that spurred speculation that the crew were bribed to stay clear of the people in the water, and not attempt to return to pick up people from the water.
The press, first in America, but also increasingly in England began to question if the gift was indeed a bribe to keep the boat from returning to collect others from the water. The Duff-Gordons, eager to protect themselves, requested to testify before the Wreck Commissioner to clear themselves.
The rest of the witnesses called to the enquiry were employees on board the ship. Lucille Duff-Gordon was also one of only three ladies called to testify, the other two women being stewardesses.
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