Titanic: Ship of Dreams - Episode 12: "Committed to the Deep"

Host: Paul McGann
Release Date: June 16, 2025
Produced by: Duncan Barrett and Miriam Baines

1. The Grim Mission of CS Mackay-Bennett

The episode delves into the somber mission of the CS Mackay-Bennett, a former cable-laying vessel repurposed by the White Star Line to recover Titanic's victims. Operating 1,300 miles from the sinking site, the ship's hold was stocked with 100 tons of ice and embalming fluid, essential for the grim task ahead.

Narrator [00:18]: "The former cable laying vessel has been chartered by the White Star Line. The crew are on double their normal pay because their mission is a grim one."

Upon arrival, Captain Frederick Lardner postponed the recovery efforts until sunrise due to the darkness, revealing hundreds of bodies scattered like seagulls across the icy waters. The harsh conditions meant that while some victims were preserved enough for burial, others were too mangled and were committed to the deep.

2. Recovery Operations and Identification Efforts

The Mackay-Bennett's crew worked tirelessly to recover and identify the bodies. Each recovered individual was meticulously tagged with details such as height, weight, and eye color. However, harsh exposure led to significant disfigurement, making identification challenging.

Narrator [05:09]: "With the help of a handful of smaller vessels, the Mackay Bennett recovers more than 300 bodies from the water."

Of these, about two-thirds were preserved well enough to be embalmed and transported back to Halifax for burial, while nearly half were too disfigured and were respectfully buried at sea.

3. Personal Stories from the Aftermath

The episode poignantly highlights personal tales of loss and remembrance, illustrating the human cost of the tragedy.

Dr. Josian Abisab and His Great Grandfather

Dr. Josian Abisab recounts locating and honoring his great grandfather, Jairios Yos Youssef Abisab, one of the 17 bodies recovered by the Minia vessel.

Dr. Josian Abisab [05:09]: "After eight days of searching, the Minya only found 17 bodies. And one of the recovered victims was number 312, Jair Yos Youssef Abisab, my great grandfather."

A century later, Dr. Abisab attends a commemorative festival in Halifax, experiencing profound emotional reflection as he visits his great grandfather's gravesite.

Susie Miller and the Unidentified Victims

Susie Miller shares the heartbreaking reality that around 1,200 Titanic victims remain unaccounted for, with many bodies lying at the ocean's depths or buried in Halifax's cemeteries without identification.

Susie Miller [07:30]: "Most of them are at the bottom of the ocean. There's a couple of hundred bodies which are buried at Halifax, Nova Scotia across, and a lot of them are unknown as well."

Klaus Vetterholm and Alma Paulsen's Tragic Story

Klaus Vetterholm narrates the fate of Alma Paulsen, a mother of four who perished while attempting to save her children, illustrating the immense personal tragedies unfolded that night.

Klaus Vetterholm [12:36]: "It took her too long time to dress the children. When she came up on deck, all boats were gone."

Eva Hart's Lingering Trauma

Survivor Eva Hart discusses her lifelong struggle with sea phobia and the psychological scars left by the tragedy, emphasizing the enduring impact on lives touched by the sinking.

Eva Hart [22:22]: "I had lots and lots of nasty nightmares and things. It was after she died that I realized that I got to go to sea. I went to sea, and I never had nightmares after. It was the right thing to do, obviously."

4. The Psychological Toll on Survivors

The narrative explores the profound emotional trauma experienced by Titanic survivors, a precursor to what we now recognize as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Josian Abisab [29:43]: "There was a lot of emotional trauma, but at the time they didn't call it that way."

Professor Stephanie Bachevsky [30:06]: "Our modern sense of something that, you know, we would now call PTSD... that's not even in operation yet at the time that Titanic sank."

Survivors often repressed their trauma, grappling silently with their experiences. The episode highlights individuals like Clifford Crease, who describes witnessing the death of an unidentified child, a memory that haunted him deeply.

5. Bruce Ismay and the Aftermath for White Star Line

The focus shifts to Bruce Ismay, Titanic's managing director, detailing his subsequent life marked by public scrutiny and professional decline following the disaster.

J. Clifford Ismay [37:30]: "Bruce issued instructions for Olympic to be brought into dry dock for a major refit... laws were changed about the number of lifeboats."

Despite his attempts to retire peacefully in rural Ireland, Ismay remained a controversial figure, struggling to escape the Titanic's shadow. His efforts to reform safety measures, such as increasing lifeboats and improving maritime communications, are underscored as pivotal changes influenced by the tragedy.

6. Legacy and Cultural Impact of Titanic

The episode examines Titanic's enduring legacy, symbolizing human hubris, technological limitations, and societal divisions. It references literary works like Thomas Hardy's poem "The Convergence of the Twain," which metaphorically connects the ship's fate to natural forces.

Klaus Vetterholm [49:53]: "Titanic is this metaphor for the whole of mankind... the smallness of man in the middle of a universe."

Titanic's story has permeated popular culture through films, literature, and ongoing public fascination, transforming survivors into reluctant celebrities and the ship into a potent cultural symbol.

7. Conspiracy Theories and Public Perception

Despite clear historical accounts, various conspiracy theories have emerged, questioning the official narrative of the Titanic's sinking. These range from claims of scuttling for insurance fraud to more outlandish ideas involving curses and malicious intents.

Professor Stephanie Bachevsky [51:54]: "I don't think that happened. I mean, you wouldn't believe it if it wasn't true."

The episode debunks these theories, emphasizing that the genuine tragedy and its catastrophic impact surpass any fictionalized versions spun by conspiratorial minds.

8. Closing and Tease for the Finale

As the episode concludes, it sets the stage for the series finale, promising revelations about the Titanic wreck's discovery, ensuing legal battles over recovered artifacts, and the monumental task of filming a massive motion picture inspired by the tragedy.

Narrator [56:09]: "In the next episode, the series finale, a US Navy oceanographer finally locates the Titanic wreck site."

Notable Quotes

• Dr. Josian Abisab [05:09]:
  "After eight days of searching, the Minya only found 17 bodies. And one of the recovered victims was number 312, Jair Yos Youssef Abisab, my great grandfather."

• Susie Miller [07:30]:
  "Most of them are at the bottom of the ocean... For our family, we don't know about Tommy. I would assume that he's at the bottom of the ocean."

• Jimmy McGann [25:00]:
  "Hear an ancestor living such a hard bitten life saying I didn't want to live much myself, actually describing compassion, describing in the worst 11th hour..."

• Eva Hart [22:22]:
  "I had lots and lots of nasty nightmares and things... I went to sea, and I never had nightmares after. It was the right thing to do, obviously."

• Klaus Vetterholm [49:53]:
  "Titanic is this metaphor for the whole of mankind... the smallness of man in the middle of a universe."

Conclusion

"Committed to the Deep" paints a comprehensive and emotionally resonant picture of the Titanic's aftermath, intertwining personal narratives with broader historical and cultural analyses. Through meticulous storytelling and evocative firsthand accounts, the episode captures the profound human and societal impacts of one of history's most infamous maritime disasters.

Listen to "Committed to the Deep" and other episodes of Titanic: Ship of Dreams available for free on your preferred podcast platform or at noiser.com. For early access and ad-free listening, consider subscribing to Noiser+.