The Mystery of RMS Titanic's Missing Binoculars

Dateline: April 9, 1912.

A last minute shakeup occurred on the eve of Titanic's maiden voyage.


After participating in RMS Titanic's sea trials, the White Star Line decided to remove Second Officer David Blair from his post on RMS Titanic, per Captain Smith's recommendation.

When Blair left the ship, he took with him a k ey and a pair of binoculars from a cupboard where they were stored. These binoculars were a crucial tool used by lookout officers while they occupied the crow's nest. 

Because of this, the RMS Titanic's lookouts had to do without binoculars on the ship's maiden voyage.

To fill Blair's Second Officer spot, Captain Smith had to do some maneuvering with the other officers. 

Smith's Chief Officer on the RMS Olympic was Henry Wilde.  Smith transferred him from RMS Olympic to be Chief Officer on RMS Titanic.


By doing this, Captain Smith demoted William Murdoch to First Officer, the same post he held on RMS Olympic.

Charles Lightoller was also demoted to Second Officer, the post that had previously been manned by David Blair.

All these changes were the only way to remove Blair from the roster and still make sure the posts were covered with experienced officers.  

It was surmised that the binoculars and the key to the crow's nest locker were left behind in Blair's cabin but after a search, they were not found.

Fast forward nearly 90 years.  

In late 1999, David Blair's daughter presented the long lost key (but not the binoculars) to the International Sailors Society. 

In September 2007, the key was auctioned off with a postcard purported to be in Blair's handwriting while he was onboard Titanic. The auction total was £90,000 ($131,000). 

Also auctioned in the collection was a passenger ticket from Belfast that brought £32,000 ($40,000), and a postcard written by a passenger which brought £17,000 ($21,000) 

So, what happened to Officer David Blair?

He became First Officer on the SS Majestic in 1913. Two incidents happened on his watch.  First, a crew member jumped overboard. He drowned before Blair could jump into the ocean to try to save him. 

The next night, a coal worker supposedly jumped overboard. This time while a lifeboat was being readied, Blair jumped without hesitation into the ocean.  The coal worker must have fell rather than jumped because by the time Blair swam toward the man, he was effortlessly swimming back to the ship.  The lifeboat reached the man first, but nevertheless, David Blair was commended for his thoughtful action in The New York Times.  He received money collected from the passengers and a medal from the Royal Humane Society. 

In 1914, when the RMS Oceanic ran aground, Charles Lightoller, who had survived the Titanic disaster as her Second Officer, again served with David Blair who was the navigator on the RMS Oceanic. 

When the Board of Inquiry hearings concluded, the blame for the ship's running aground was placed on David Blair.

Charles Lightoller died on December 8, 1952, age 78.

David Blair died on January 10, 1955 in Hendon, Middlesex, age 80. His son Donald Blair, a school teacher, was the author of the Lake District hiking/walking books. 

In the years before he died, Donald often said that he felt immeasurable guilt about his father’s involvement with RMS Titanic for taking the keys to the binoculars.