Posted by Malcolm Mitchell on October 24, 2000 at 15:28:37:
Dear All,
Following on from our lifeboat detail postings a little while ago, I noticed in the book "Titanic, fortune & fate" a photograph on page 120 of a lifeboat fender taken from one of Titanic's lifeboats by one of the rescue ships. These fenders can only be described as looking like a pair of white canvas 'saddle-bags' presumably filled with some sort of padding. These were slung over the gunwales of the boats to protect the paintwork and cushion any contact with any other vessel, dockside, etc, as old tyres are used these days. What interests me is the fact that these fenders have attached to them a metal White Star flag and Liverpool painted plaque. Does anyone know if these were the same size, and therefore presumably from the same pattern, as the plaques attached to the lifeboats themselves? In the photograph there are countersunk screw holes clearly visible in the casting which suggests that the same plaque could easily be fitted to a boat side. Perhaps some of these are the relics taken as momentos and passed off as actual boat plaques that we have seen at recent auctions. Any info anyone as to how many would be assigned to each boat etc.?
Malc.