David Blair served as the Titanic's original second officer

David Blair served as the Titanic’s original second officer

Although he is most famous as the Titanic sailor, his true heroism can be seen in the medals that David Blair has collected.

Blair was originally from Dundee in Scotland and served as Titanic’s second officer. He was then replaced by a new man, leaving the ship at Southampton to save his life.

He forgot to take a key to the bird’s nest so he could access his binoculars or telescope in his rush to get offboard.

Frederick Fleet, who was watching the sinking ship after it hit an iceberg on April 14, 1912 on his watch, later said that he could have prevented the catastrophe if he had better binoculars.

As such, Blair is known to history for his unwitting part in the sinking – but the officer had in fact won a series of prestigious medals for his bravery and military service.

Aldridge was just one year old when the Titanic sank. He was the first officer aboard the SS Majestic, another White Star ocean-liner.

King George V presented Blair with a Sea Gallantry Medal at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his courage.

Additional medals were earned during World War I, where he distinguished himself in the navy.

Blair, who was known as Davy, was also commended with an OBE and the Legion d’Honneur – France’s highest order of merit.

The medals are being sold tomorrow at auction house Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, in Devizes, Wiltshire, and are expected to fetch up to £15,000.   

Andrew Aldridge, managing director of Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd in Devizes, Wiltshire, which is handling the sale, said that Blair was in fact a ‘military hero’.

Blair was replaced at the last minute and left the ship in Southampton, saving his life. In his haste to disembark, however, he forgot to leave a key which was needed in the crow's nest to access binoculars and a telescope

Blair, who had been replaced in the end by a crewman named Johnston, left Southampton to save his life. He forgot to bring a key, which was required to unlock the telescope and binoculars in the bird’s nest, as he had to rush to get offboard.

The officer had in fact won a series of prestigious medals for his bravery and military service. The medals are being sold tomorrow at auction house Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, in Devizes, Wiltshire, and are expected to fetch up to £15,000. Pictured from left to right: Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals, 1914-1919; Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R.; France, Legion d'Honneur

In fact, the officer was awarded a number of medals in recognition for his military service and bravery. The medals are being sold tomorrow at auction house Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, in Devizes, Wiltshire, and are expected to fetch up to £15,000. Pictured from left to right: Most Excellent Order of the British Empire; Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R.; 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals, 1914-1919; Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R.; France, Legion d’Honneur

Roughly a year after the Titanic sank, Aldridge was serving as first officer on the SS Majestic - another White Star ocean liner - when he swam to the rescue of a drowning man who had thrown himself overboard. For his bravery, King George V awarded Blair a Sea Gallantry Medal at Buckingham Palace. Above: The citation letter

Aldridge, who was first officer of the SS Majestic – another White Star Ocean Liner – was on duty for a little over a year following the sinking Titanic. He rescued a man from drowning after he jumped into the water. King George V gave Blair the Sea Gallantry Medal at Buckingham Palace in recognition of his bravery. Above: The citation note

Blair also won these two medals, the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Medal and the Royal Humane Society Medal, in bronze

Blair was also awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Medal and Royal Humane Society Medal.

Aldridge said, “It is a little unfair that he has,”

“Yes, they did possess the binocular key. However, in order to gain access to their binoculars there are many ways and means of opening a box.

“So, it’s an unfair label that was given to him because he was a highly decorated military hero.  

Official inquiry: Binoculars may have saved Titanic 

Fred Fleet was the US’ official lookout during an inquiry into the sinking. He stated that he previously used glasses-like binoculars on RMS Oceanic.

The inquiry was chaired by Senator Smith. Fleet asked: “Suppose that you had glasses… Could you have seen the black object?” [the iceberg]Is it at a further distance?

Fleet responded, “We could have seen that a little sooner.”

Asking him if he would like to speak earlier, he answered: “Well, enough to get rid of the way.”He replied, “Well enough to get out the way.”

David Blair’s defense was offered by Aldridge. He said: “Blair would be rushing to fix his loose ends before that.”

“In his hurry, he forgot to give the key. The fate of Titanic was now in his hands.

“But, in terms of fault then you must look at EJ Smith the captain. EJ Smith had given warnings that the ship was heading too fast into an ice field.

He added: “There were two pairs of binoculars for the bridge and one pair for the bird nest, because Blair only days prior to having them. 

Lightoller may not have known where the watchers were, but it could be blamed for Lightoller failing to send them lookouts.

“He would have discovered them if he had been able open the locker.” So, in the end, the only lookouts were their own eyes.

Auctioneer: “That’s a fair amount of medals, he’s got there.

“You have to be quite brave to leap off an oceanliner into the Atlantic in order to pull somebody out of the water. That’s more like him than the Titanic sinker.

He said, “But like all other things, he will always be known as man who took binocular boxes key. This is because of how insidious the Titanic disaster was and how deeply it has ingrained itself into our consciousnesses.”

Blair was removed from the Titanic’s crew by Edward J. Smith who appointed Henry Wilde his chief officer.

William Murdoch, the original chief of officer, was therefore promoted to first officer to replace Charles Lightoller (who was himself made to second).

Blair was thus left without a job.

Aldridge said that Smith, in fact, was captain. He wanted to have his own man aboard.

“David Blair was the round hole in the square hole. He moved on the Titanic.”

Blair wrote a postcard to his sister in law before the sinking and lamented his loss.

He said, “I am afraid that I will have to leave to make way for the chief officer of Olympic.”

‘This is a magnificent ship, I feel very disappointed I am not to make her first voyage… I hope eventually to get back to this ship.’

Frederick Fleet and Reginald Lee, who were duty-lookouts on the sinking ship, survived.

Fleet claimed that with binoculars, they could have seen the incident during an inquiry [the iceberg]”A little sooner”

He replied, “Well, enough to get us out of this way,” when asked how quickly he would do that.

Blair held onto his crucial key until his death at age 80 in 1955.

Mr Aldridge said: ‘He spoke very little about it, but you found that with a lot of Titanic survivors – they just didn’t talk about it.

“Yes, he did get off at Southampton. But there were many of his friends and most of them didn’t make it. He wasn’t one who wanted to speak about these experiences.

The seaman’s medals, along with citations and other historical documents, are expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction.

Aldridge said, “It is a wonderful lot. I would describe it as a crosscollectible.”

‘Because the medals you have are a wonderful group that honors his courage.

“But, most important, those medals give you a link to an officer who served on the greatest ship of 20 century.”

Blair died, and his keys were passed on to his daughter.

It later sold for £90,000 at an auction in 2007 before going up for sale again in 2018 for £18,000.

After Blair's death, his key passed to his daughter. It later sold for £90,000 at an auction in 2007 before going up for sale again in 2018 for £18,000

Blair was killed in an accident. His key was given to Blair’s daughter. It later sold for £90,000 at an auction in 2007 before going up for sale again in 2018 for £18,000

The seaman's medals, along with citations and other historical documents, are expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction

The seaman’s medals, along with citations and other historical documents, are expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction

Tragic Titanic disaster of 1912.

Constructed by Belfast-based shipbuilders Harland and Wolff between 1909 and 1912, the RMS Titanic was the largest ship afloat of her time.

Owned and operated by the White Star Line, the passenger vessel set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 10, 1912.

The liner made two short stops en route to her planned Atlantic crossing — one at the French port of Cherbourg, the other at Cork Harbour, Ireland, where smaller vessels ferried passengers on and off board the Titanic.

Just five days into her journey, the Titanic collided with an iceberg. 

At just before midnight on April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic hit an iceberg while travelling on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Within three hours, the 'unsinkable' ship had slipped beneath the waves of the freezing Atlantic Ocean, killing more than 1,500 people

Just before midnight, on April 14, 1912 the RMS Titanic was travelling from Southampton to New York when it collided with an iceberg. In less than three hours the “unsinkable” ship was submerged beneath the Atlantic Ocean waves, killing over 1,500 people.

The Titanic was swept away fifteen times more quickly than the ship could pump out. Due to its extensive hull damage, the bulkheads were unable to prevent the water from reaching the compartmentalised lower decks. 

Two-and-a half hours later, the vessel split into two pieces and began to sink. Each section settled on the seafloor about a third mile away.

It is believed that around 1,500 people died in the disaster, which included 815 liner passengers.  

The luxurious Titanic, which was launched in 1912, was the biggest ship ever built. It carried some of the most wealthy people on the planet, along with hundreds of immigrants from Britain and Ireland who wanted to start a new life in America.