TITANIC

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A SUPER-IMPOSED PICTURE OF MY MOTHER, GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER AS THEY APPEARED AT THE TIME OF SAILING ON THE TITANIC

The front and back cover of the 45 minute audio CD which has my mother describing how she felt during the period before and after the sinking of the Titanic. Some of the narration is by myself and sister and the CD is signed by both of us.

My name is David Haisman, the youngest son of Edith Haisman (nee Brown)

In 1996, at 100 years of age, she became the world's oldest living survivor of the Titanic disaster.

She was nearly 16 years of age at the time and had vivid memories of many of the horrors that took place that night.

The picture below is of my mother's diary which she took into lifeboat 14 with her on abandoning ship

They had left South Africa and sold their hotel in Cape Town to set up a hotel business in Seattle. Whilst in London before sailing on the Titanic, they bought a great deal of silver table ware and linens for the new hotel enterpise they were hoping to set up. They never insured any of those items as the ship was claimed to be unsinkable by many including the press. White Star Line went along with these statements as this was good publicity for the company and of course for their new ship.

After the ship struck the iceberg, my mother along with her mother, were put into lifeboat 14 by my grandfather. On leaving their cabin, my mother left a beautiful gold and coral necklace on her bunk, choosing to take instead her diary. Her fathers last words to them when being lowered down the ship's side was ' I'll See You In New York'. This being the title of my book as can be seen below and of which is my mother's life story.

The front cover of my book with my painting of the Titanic on the last night.

The front cover of my autobiography with a model of the Titanic

My wife and I at the Hilton Hotel in Southampton holding the watch claimed to have belonged to my grandfather and of which was brought up from the Titanic wreck site and presented to my mother.

This is a menu from the dinner held at the Hilton Hotel in Southampton for the celebration of her 100th birthday celebrations.

The signatures are; E.E. Haisman (mother and survivor)

Elletro Marconi ( daughter of the radio pioneer)

George Tulloch ( Titanic inc.)

Milvina Dean ( 8 week old baby survivor)

After the Titanic disaster, my mother and grandmother returned to South Africa where my mother met and married my father in 1917. They came to England and raised 10 children here in Southampton, comprising of 8 boys and 2 girls.

As the youngest member of the family, I joined the Merchant Navy and served for 30 years on many different types of ships. Some of my sea career was spent with Cunard White Star and I have served on several of their ships including the Queens Mary and Elizabeth as paid Lookout Man, doing the same job as Fred Fleet of whom I had met several times in Southampton when he was a newspaper seller in the city.

I have also served in ships on the Canadian service and on older ships like the 'Ascania', we would stop at night in icefields much the same as the 'Californian' did during the sinking of the Titanic. It was at times like this when on watch at night, that I would think about my mother and grandmother and wonder how those poor souls must have felt cramped up in a small lifeboat all night in such freezing conditions.

My mother and father in 1975

In 1995, my mother received an invitation to go on a short cruise of rememberance to the Titanic wreck site. In the North Atlantic, the ship stopped at a position marked as 41 46'N 50 14' W and beneath them lay the wreck of the Titanic, in darkness and at peace.

My mother, now wheel chair bound, attended a service on the open decks in memory of over 1500 souls that had perished at this place 84 years ago.

Those memories came flooding back to her of that nightmare and of the horrors that had unfolded that night.

With my sister in attendance,, she was helped to the ship's rail to let a wreath fall on those dark icy waters below and wept silently as she thought of how her father must have fought for his life along with so many others.

To pay her last respects to her father, had been her life's dream and now this had been done, this would be her last sea voyage.

'EDITH HAISMAN CLOSE' is situated in the Freemantle area of Southampton. Within 5 minutes walking distance from there is no. 9 Norman Road, the house where Fred Fleet, Titanic's Lookout Man who first spotted the iceberg, had lived. It was here where he finally took his life after falling on hard times.

Today I live, again just 5 minutes walking distance from Captain Rostrons grave site, once the master of the rescue vessel 'Carpathia.'

I believe that without his rapid response to Titanic's distress call, many more would have perished in the North Atlantic that night and it's doubtful if I would be writing this today.

David Haisman

A photograph in October 1996 of our mother, myself and two sisters taken during my mother's 100th. birthday celebrations at the Hilton Hotel in Southampton.

I have written my mother's life story titled ' I'LL SEE YOU IN NEW YORK' and also my autobiography titled 'RAISED ON THE TITANIC'

Both copies are of cello gloss containing 147 pages with many illustrations measuring 8.5'' x 6.25'' ( 21cm x 16cm)

They are collectors items and can only be purchased through me. I will sign all copies with whatever dedication is requested.

email titanicanme@aol.com

A selection of my water colours when I get the urge to paint.