James Paul Moody
Encyclopedia
James Paul Moody was the Sixth Officer of the and the only junior officer of the ship to die in the disaster.
, the son of John Henry Moody and Evelyn Louis Lammin. He went to sea at the age of 14 and attended the nautical training ship at Birkenhead. He later attended the King Edward VII Nautical School in London,
offices on 26 March. From there he travelled to board Tas Sixth Officer earned him about $37 a month, although he was allowed his own cabin as compensation for his small salary.
On Titanics sailing day, 10 April, Moody assisted, among other things, in aiding Fifth Officer Harold Lowe
in lowering two of the starboard lifeboats to satisfy the Board of Trade that Titanic met safety standards. He was also in charge of closing the last gangway, and most likely saved the lives of six crewmen who arrived too late to board by turning them away. Once the ship had put to sea, Moody stood the 4-5 PM watch and both 8-12 watches, which meant that he was on watch with First Officer
William Murdoch
and Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall
when the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11.40 PM on 14 April. After spotting the iceberg, lookout Frederick Fleet
rang the warning bell three times and phoned the bridge. It was Moody who answered the call, asking, "What do you see?" Fleet replied, "Iceberg, right ahead!"
In the ensuing evacuation, Moody helped in the loading of Lifeboats No. 12, 14, and 16. While loading No. 14, Fifth Officer Lowe remarked that an officer should man the lifeboat. While the lower-ranked Moody would traditionally have been given this task, he deferred to Lowe. Moody went to the port side and gave Murdoch a hand until the water had come on the deck. It was a decision that would seal his fate. Moody was seen trying to launch Collapsible A, an emergency lifeboat, just a few minutes before the final sinking. Moody was last seen jumping into the sea from the deck, and although his final fate is unknown, it is likely that, like most of Titanics victims, he succumbed to hypothermia
in the frigid North Atlantic
waters. He was 24 at the time of his death. His body, if recovered, was never identified. Moody was the only junior officer on the Titanic to die with the ship.
A monument in Woodland Cemetery, Scarborough, commemorates Moody's sacrifice on the Titanic with the Biblical quote, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (see )
Officer Moody was portrayed by Edward Fletcher in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic
. The film depicted Moody admitting steerage passengers Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi onboard the ship only moments before it departed Southampton. Moody appears later in the film and receives the iceberg warning from the lookouts. Moody is last seen in the film during the attempted launch of Collapsible A, and his death is not shown.
Early life
Little is known about Moody's youth. He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, the son of John Henry Moody and Evelyn Louis Lammin. He went to sea at the age of 14 and attended the nautical training ship at Birkenhead. He later attended the King Edward VII Nautical School in London,
RMS Titanic
Along with the other junior officers, Moody received a telegram early in 1912 ordering him to report to White Star's LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
offices on 26 March. From there he travelled to board Tas Sixth Officer earned him about $37 a month, although he was allowed his own cabin as compensation for his small salary.
On Titanics sailing day, 10 April, Moody assisted, among other things, in aiding Fifth Officer Harold Lowe
Harold Lowe
Commander Harold Godfrey Lowe RD RNR was the Fifth Officer of the .-Early years:Harold Lowe was born in Eglwys Rhos, Caernarfonshire, North Wales on 21 November 1882, the third of eight children, born to George and Harriet Lowe...
in lowering two of the starboard lifeboats to satisfy the Board of Trade that Titanic met safety standards. He was also in charge of closing the last gangway, and most likely saved the lives of six crewmen who arrived too late to board by turning them away. Once the ship had put to sea, Moody stood the 4-5 PM watch and both 8-12 watches, which meant that he was on watch with First Officer
Chief Mate
A Chief Mate or Chief Officer, usually also synonymous with the First Mate or First Officer , is a licensed member and head of the deck department of a merchant ship...
William Murdoch
William McMaster Murdoch
Lieutenant William "Will" McMaster Murdoch RNR was a Scottish sailor who died on board the , where he was employed by the White Star Line, serving as First Officer...
and Fourth Officer Joseph Boxhall
Joseph Boxhall
Commander Joseph Groves Boxhall RD RNR was the Fourth Officer on the , and later served as a naval officer in World War I.-Early life:...
when the Titanic struck an iceberg at 11.40 PM on 14 April. After spotting the iceberg, lookout Frederick Fleet
Frederick Fleet
Frederick Fleet was a crewman and survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic after it struck an iceberg on 14 April 1912...
rang the warning bell three times and phoned the bridge. It was Moody who answered the call, asking, "What do you see?" Fleet replied, "Iceberg, right ahead!"
In the ensuing evacuation, Moody helped in the loading of Lifeboats No. 12, 14, and 16. While loading No. 14, Fifth Officer Lowe remarked that an officer should man the lifeboat. While the lower-ranked Moody would traditionally have been given this task, he deferred to Lowe. Moody went to the port side and gave Murdoch a hand until the water had come on the deck. It was a decision that would seal his fate. Moody was seen trying to launch Collapsible A, an emergency lifeboat, just a few minutes before the final sinking. Moody was last seen jumping into the sea from the deck, and although his final fate is unknown, it is likely that, like most of Titanics victims, he succumbed to hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
in the frigid North Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
waters. He was 24 at the time of his death. His body, if recovered, was never identified. Moody was the only junior officer on the Titanic to die with the ship.
A monument in Woodland Cemetery, Scarborough, commemorates Moody's sacrifice on the Titanic with the Biblical quote, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (see )
Officer Moody was portrayed by Edward Fletcher in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
. The film depicted Moody admitting steerage passengers Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi onboard the ship only moments before it departed Southampton. Moody appears later in the film and receives the iceberg warning from the lookouts. Moody is last seen in the film during the attempted launch of Collapsible A, and his death is not shown.