Purser Victor Henry Townsend

Male

Birth date: 20.1.1892 y.

Cabin: Medical Officers-4

Biography:

Victor Henry Townsend, born in Lancashire, England, on January 20, 1892, was a steward on the White Star Line's British hospital ship, Britannic. Victor was the second of four children born to Marina Larson (née Barrow) and James Larson, an experienced sailor. Victor lived with his parents until he was fifteen, when he embarked on a ship for the first time to Australia. During the voyage, he served as an apprentice seaman and an apprentice officer. It was on this voyage that he experienced a terrifying moment: the ship he was serving on nearly sank during a storm near Durban, Australia. Victor later described the moment as "when the sea tries to devour you." At 18, he joined the Royal Navy, but failed the mathematics exam for officer and withdrew after his second attempt. However, in 1911, at the age of 19, he joined the Red Star Line as a steward aboard the SS Lapland, and in 1912, he joined the White Star Line, serving aboard the RMS Olympic as a ship's purser until March 1912, when he was transferred to the RMS Titanic.

On April 2, 1912, Victor received a letter from White Star offices requesting that he report to Southampton by April 6 to board the Titanic. After April 6, Henry wrote to his family in Lancashire, stating that he was very happy and looking forward to sailing on the new ocean liner. On April 10, the Titanic set sail, and Victor made new friends on board, including Officer James Moody, telegraphists Jack Phillips and Harold Bride, stewards McElroy, and stewardess Jessop. On the evening of April 15, Townsend was taking a walk on deck, almost finishing his shift and retiring for bed, when the Titanic struck an iceberg. Victor, who was on the starboard bow, on C-Deck, spotted the iceberg. Startled, he moved away and quickly ran to the grand staircase.

At 11:45 PM, Victor was already busy with passengers calling him to inquire about what had happened, and he claimed it was just a propeller blade. At 12:30 AM, he was called to the grand staircase and led some passengers to the starboard boat deck. At 2:00 AM, he helped board boats C and D on the starboard and port sides. In the latter, he attempted to board but was denied. Victor remembered collapsible boat A on the starboard side and ran there, where he loaded some women and children and managed to board it. When water flooded the deck and the boat he was on, Victor was thrown from the boat but managed to swim back to it. Townsend saw the horror of the sinking, and it never left his mind. Later, at 3:00 a.m., he was rescued by Boat 14. Once aboard the Carpathia, Victor began to have nightmares about the sinking; he and the other survivors arrived in New York on April 18.

In 1913, Victor suffered a bicycle accident, hitting a car while descending a hill. Afterward, he suffered a serious limp. This condition persisted for over a year, and occasionally recurred. In 1914, he was still working for the White Star Line as a steward on the Adriatic, until the outbreak of World War II. He was transferred to the Oceanic and served as a steward until the ship's demise later that year. In 1915, he returned to the Olympic as a steward and remained until October of that year, when he was transferred to the new Britannic and served as a steward for the crew and nurses. After the Britannic's return to White Star, he spent a few months on leave in Cowes and was recalled to duty on the Britannic in August 1916, returning to the Mediterranean on September 24. He embarked again on another transatlantic voyage on November 12, 1916, again bound for Moudros.

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