Born in Chorley, Lancashire, UK on 30 March 1874. Charles Herbert Lightoller went to sea at an early age. Originally an apprentice on the Liverpool to Australia run, he survived shipwreck in the Indian Ocean as well as fire at sea while serving on the South America run. After transferring from sail to steam, he joined the White Star Line where he rose quickly to the rank of First Officer.He was to serve in this capacity on RMS Titanic, but the appointment of Chief Officer Wilde to serve on her maiden voyage bumped Lightoller back to Second Ofiicer. Had this not happened, he would have been on duty when Titanic encountered the iceberg. He was the senior survivng officer of the sinking and offered testimony at both the US Senate and British Board of Trade hearings into the wreck.During World War I he served in many capacities, including as an aerial spotter. While commander of the destroyer HMS Garry, Lightoller ordered the ramming of a German U-Boat, which sank. Seriously damaged, Lightoller safely guidded the Garry back to port. He was awarded the DSC for this action. After the war, his career with White Star stalled because of his involvement with Titanic. He resigned from the line and tried many businesses, finally opening a boatyard, Richmond Slipways, on the River Thames near Twickenham. He also operated a touring yacht, The Sundowner, named for his wife Sylvia, who he met in Australia. Just before the outbreak of World War II, the Lightollers sailed Sundowner off the northern cast of Germany, secretly mapping shore installations. During the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, Lightoller brought Sundowner over to the beach and rescued 127 British troops, bring them through despite several attacks by Luftwaffe fighters. When a soldier discovered that Lightoller was an officer on Titanic, he expressed concern. His sergeant replied, If he came through that, he'll do you, son. Following Dunkirk, Commander Lightoller joined the Home Guard, but the Royal Navy engaged him to work with the Small Vessel Pool until the end of World War II. His youngest son, Brian, was in the RAF as a pilot. On the first night of World War II, he was killed in a bombing raid on Wilhelmshaven. His eldest son, Roger, went on to join the Royal Navy where he commanded Motor Gun Boats. During the final months of the war, he was killed during a German Commando raid on Granville on the North French Coast.Lightoller was 'demobbed' in 1946 at age 72. He went on to run a boatyard called Richmond Slipways, building motor launches for the London River Police. On 8 December 1952, Charles Herbert Lightoller passed away. He was cremated at Mortlake Crematorium and the ashes scattered in the Garden of Remembrance.For more information about Commander C.H. Lightoller, DSC and Bar, read Patrick Stenson's biography. Commander Lightoller was portrayed by Kenneth More in the movie, A Night To Remember, which shows the actions he took that fateful night, including swimming from the wreck and taking charge of a capsized lifeboat. Show less «