🚢 RMS Titanic Lifeboat 5 – A Lifeboat Half Full, A Missed Rescue, and a Love Story

📌 Discover the story of Titanic’s Lifeboat 5, which left half-empty while hundreds perished. Learn about Third Officer Herbert Pitman’s failed attempt to return for survivors, Karl Behr’s love story aboard Titanic, and how First-Class passengers had better access to lifeboats. A crucial chapter in Titanic’s history.

Facts About Lifeboat 5 (LB-5)

Lifeboat 5, the 2nd one launched at 12:55 am, located on the boat deck, starboard side, with 36 occupants comprised of 29 First Class, 1 Deck Officer, and 6 Crew Members. Capacity for the lifeboat was 65 (55% of Capacity).

🚢 RMS Titanic Lifeboat 5 – A Story of Class Divides, Missed Rescues, and Leadership

🔍 Overview: The Second Lifeboat Launched – A Missed Opportunity to Save More Lives
Lifeboat 5 was the second lifeboat launched from the Titanic at 12:55 AM on the starboard side with only 36 occupants—far below its 65-person capacity (only 55% full). It carried mostly First-Class passengers, two stewardesses, and six crew members, including Third Officer Herbert Pitman.

📌 Why is Lifeboat 5 significant?

✔ It could have saved more lives but left the Titanic half-empty.

✔ The only lifeboat commanded by Third Officer Herbert Pitman, who later wanted to return for survivors but was overruled.

✔ Carried Karl Howell Behr, a famous tennis champion, and other wealthy elites, revealing how First-Class passengers had better access to lifeboats.

✔ Highlighted the critical role of Titanic’s crew in maintaining order and discipline in lifeboat evacuations.

📌 For teachers, students, genealogists, and historians, Lifeboat 5 represents the social dynamics, survival choices, and decision-making under crisis aboard Titanic. It’s a case study in missed rescue opportunities, leadership challenges, and the stark reality of class privilege in the disaster.

First Class Passengers - LB-5

1. Mr. Richard Leonard Beckwith, (37)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
2. Mrs. Sallie Beckwith (née Monypeny) (46)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
3. Mr. Karl Howell Behr, (26)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
4. Mr. Edward Pennington Calderhead, (42)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
5. Mrs. Eleanor Genevieve Cassebeer (née Fosdick) (36)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
6. Mr. Norman Campbell Chambers, (27)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
7. Mrs. Bertha Chambers (née Griggs) (32)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
8. Mrs. Ruth Dodge (née Vidaver) (34)  San Francisco, California, US [LB-5]
9. Master Washington, Jr. Dodge, (4)  San Francisco, California, US [LB-5]
10. Mr. John Irwin Flynn, (36)  Brooklyn, New York, US [LB-5]
11. Dr. Henry William Frauenthal, (49)  London, England, UK [LB-5]
12. Mrs. Clara Frauenthal (née Heinsheimer) (42)  London, England, UK [LB-5]
13. Mr. Isaac Gerald Frauenthal, (43)  London, England, UK [LB-5]
14. Mr. Maximilian Josef Frölicher, (60)  Zürich, Switzerland [LB-5]
15. Mrs. Margaretha Emerentia Frölicher (née Stehli) (48)  Zürich, Switzerland [LB-5]
16. Miss Hedwig Margaritha Frölicher-Stehli, (22)  Zürich, Switzerland [LB-5]
17. Mr. Samuel L. Goldenberg, (47)  Paris, France [LB-5]
18. Mrs. Nella Goldenberg (née Wiggins) (40)  Paris, France [LB-5]
19. Mr. George Achilles Harder, (25)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
20. Mrs. Dorothy Harder (née Annan) (21)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
21. Mr. Edwin Nelson Jr. Kimball, (42)  Boston, Massachusetts, US [LB-5]
22. Mrs. Gertrude Kimball (née Parsons) (45)  Boston, Massachusetts, US [LB-5]
23. Miss Helen Monypeny Newsom, (19)  New York, New York, US [LB-5]
24. Miss Helene Ragnhild Ostby, (22)  Providence, Rhode Island, US [LB-5]
25. Mr. Spencer Victor Silverthorne, (35)  St Louis, Missouri, US [LB-5]
26. Mrs. Annie May Stengel (née Morris) (44)  Newark, New Jersey, US [LB-5]
27. Mr. Elmer Zebley Taylor, (48)  London, England, UK [LB-5]
28. Mrs. Juliet Cummins Taylor (née Wright) (48)  London, England, UK [LB-5]
29. Mrs. Anna Sophia Warren (née Atkinson) (60)  Portland, Oregon, US [LB-5]

Officers - LB-5

1. Mr. Herbert John Pitman (34) Third Officer [LB-5]

Deck Crew - LB-5

1. Mr. Alfred Olliver (27) Quartermaster [LB-5]

Engineering Crew

1. Mr. Alfred Shiers (24) Fireman/Stoker [LB-5]

Victualling Crew - LB-5

1. Mrs. Mabel Bennett (30)  First Class Stewardess [LB-5]
2. Mr. Henry Samuel Etches (41)  Bedroom Steward [LB-5]
3. Mr. Edward John Guy (28)  Boots [LB-5]
4. Mrs. McLaren (40)  Stewardess [LB-5]

Legend For Survivor or Lost Passengers and Crew Members

• LB-# or A-D - Survivor on Lifeboat 1-16 or Collapsible Lifeboat A-D
• P-BNR - Perished, Body Not Recovered or Body Not Identified
• MB – CS Mackay-Bennett (bodies 1–306)
• M – CS Minia (bodies 307–323)
• MM – CGS Montmagny (bodies 326–329)
• A – SS Algerine (body 330)
• O – RMS Oceanic (bodies 331–333)
• I – SS Ilford (body 334)
• OT – SS Ottawa (body 335)

Numbers 324 and 325 were unused, and the six bodies buried at sea by the Carpathia also went unnumbered. Several recovered bodies were unidentifiable and thus not all numbers are matched with a person.

Upon recovery, the bodies of 209 identified and unidentified victims of the sinking were brought to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of those, 121 were taken to the non-denominational Fairview Lawn Cemetery, 59 were repatriated, 19 were buried in the Roman Catholic Mount Olivet Cemetery, and 10 were taken to the Jewish Baron de Hirsch Cemetery. The bodies of the remaining recovered victims were either delivered to family members or buried at sea.

📌 A Lifeboat That Could Have Saved More People – But Didn’t

Despite Titanic carrying over 2,200 people, Lifeboat 5 left the ship with only 36 occupants, even though it had room for 65 passengers.

📜 Notable Quote:

💬 "Why are we lowering boats that aren’t full?"

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ Reflects the early confusion and mismanagement of lifeboat loading.

✔ Highlights how panic and uncertainty affected how lifeboats were launched.

✔ Shows the reluctance of some passengers and crew to believe the ship was actually sinking.

📌 The Leadership Struggle: Third Officer Herbert Pitman Wanted to Go Back for Survivors

Unlike many lifeboats, Lifeboat 5 had an officer in charge: Third Officer Herbert Pitman.

💡 Pitman wanted to row back to save survivors in the freezing water, but he was overruled by others in the boat.

📜 Notable Quote:

💬 “We might go back and pick up a few.” – Third Officer Herbert Pitman

💬 “No, we will be swamped.” – Response from others in the lifeboat

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ Exposes the fear among survivors that lifeboats would capsize if they tried to rescue people in the water.

✔ Illustrates the moral dilemma of whether to save others or ensure their own survival.

✔ Shows how even Titanic’s officers struggled with leadership in moments of crisis.

📌 The Social Divide: First-Class Passengers Had More Access to Lifeboats

Lifeboat 5 carried 29 First-Class passengers, revealing how wealth and privilege influenced survival rates.

📜 Notable Quote:

💬 “Most of the lifeboats leaving the starboard side early on had mainly First-Class passengers.”

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ Illustrates the class-based survival disparities on Titanic.

✔ Supports historical data that First-Class passengers had better access to lifeboats.

✔ Raises ethical questions about how lifeboat spaces were allocated.

📌 A Love Story on the Titanic: Karl Howell Behr and Helen Monypeny Newsom

📌 Lifeboat 5 carried Karl Howell Behr, a famous American tennis player, who boarded to protect his future fiancée, Helen Newsom.

📜 Notable Image:

📷 “Karl Behr, the tennis star, survived Titanic while protecting his love, Helen Newsom.”

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ One of Titanic’s real-life love stories—Behr later married Newsom after their rescue.

✔ Demonstrates how some men managed to board lifeboats by claiming to assist women.

✔ Shows how class privilege played a role in determining who survived.

📌 A Close Encounter with an Iceberg

📌 Lifeboat 5 witnessed one of the icebergs that Titanic likely struck.

📜 Notable Quote:

💬 “The iceberg was so close we could almost touch it.”

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ Provides a rare firsthand account of the actual iceberg.

✔ Highlights the eerie silence and shock among survivors.

✔ Confirms that multiple icebergs were in the area, making navigation hazardous.

📌 The Rescue: The First Boats to Reach the Carpathia

📌 Lifeboat 5 was one of the first lifeboats picked up by the rescue ship, Carpathia.

📜 Notable Quote:

💬 “When we saw the Carpathia’s lights, we knew we would live.”

📜 Why This Matters:

✔ Highlights the relief and exhaustion of survivors after hours at sea.

✔ Marks the moment when Titanic’s ordeal turned into a historical tragedy.

✔ Connects the Titanic disaster to the heroic rescue efforts of Carpathia.

📚 Relevance for Different Audiences

📌 🧑‍🏫 For Teachers & Students:

✔ Encourages discussions on leadership under crisis—should Pitman have forced the boat to return for survivors?

✔ Explores the ethical decisions made by Titanic’s survivors.

✔ Analyzes the social class survival gap in historical disasters.

📌 📖 For Historians & Maritime Researchers:

✔ Examines Titanic’s lifeboat capacity issues and inefficient loading.

✔ Studies firsthand accounts of Titanic’s iceberg and its rescue efforts.

✔ Reveals how Titanic’s officers handled evacuation procedures.

📌 🧬 For Genealogists & Family Historians:

✔ Lists the full names of passengers and crew aboard Lifeboat 5.

✔ Documents survival stories and relationships between Titanic passengers.

✔ Provides insight into how different families experienced the disaster.

🌟 Final Thoughts: The Legacy of Lifeboat 5

📌 Lifeboat 5 is one of the most compelling examples of Titanic’s lifeboat mismanagement.

✔ It highlights how lifeboats were launched half-empty, costing hundreds of lives.

✔ It reveals a First-Class survival bias—29 out of 36 passengers were First-Class.

✔ It presents a moral dilemma: should lifeboats have returned for survivors?

✔ It offers a rare romantic story amid the tragedy—Karl Behr’s love for Helen Newsom.

🚢 Lifeboat 5 symbolizes Titanic’s greatest tragedy: there was room for more survivors, but fear and disorganization sealed their fate.