Whether non-passengers (those who were employed on the ship) survived the Titanic disaster depended greatly on their occupations. For example, non-passengers who manned the lifeboats — deck crew members — survived at a high rate: a whopping 68 percent. Not all crew members were so lucky.
The non-passengers consisted of the officers, the deck and engineering crews, the victuallers, the restaurant staff, the guarantee group, the musicians, and the postal clerks. The engineering crew and the victuallers were the largest non-passengers contingents. This table provides an overview of the occupations of each group of nonpassengers and their estimated survival rates.
Type | Occupations | Survived |
---|---|---|
Deck crew | Able seaman, lookout, quartermaster, trimmer | 68% |
Officers | Captain, officer | 57% |
Engineering crew | Electrician, engineer, fireman/stoker, greaser, mess steward, trimmer | 22% |
Victuallers | Baker, chef, cook, pantryman, scullion, steward/stewardess, storekeeper, Turkish bath attendant | 19% |
Restaurant staff | Cook, waiter | 4% |
Guarantee group | Draughtsman, electrician, electrician’s apprentice, fitter, joiner, plumber, shipbuilder | 0% |
Musicians | Bandmaster, bassist, cellist, pianist, violinist | 0% |
Postal clerks | Postal clerk | 0% |
The guarantee group consisted of employees of Harland and Wolff who went on the Titanic’s maiden voyage to complete unfinished work and troubleshoot mechanical errors.