James Moody

James Moody

James Paul Moody (Scarborough 21 August 1887 – Atlantic Ocean 15 April 1912) was the Sixth Officer of the RMS Titanic and the only junior officer of the ship to die in the disaster.

Early life

Little is known about Moody's youth. He was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, the son of John Henry Moody and Evelyn Louis Lammin. He went to sea at the age of 14 and attended the HMS Conway nautical training ship at Birkenhead. He later attended the King Edward VII Nautical School in London, gaining his Masters Certificate in April 1911. Moody joined the White Star Line that same year and served on their liner RMS Oceanic (along with fellow Titanic officer Charles Lightoller) bef

RMS Titanic

ore being transferred to the RMS Titanic in 1912 at age 24. At that time he was living with an uncle at St. James House, Grimsby, Lincolnshire.

Along with the other junior officers, Moody received a telegram early in 1912 ordering him to report to White Star's Liverpool offices on 26 March. From there he travelled to board Titanic at the Harland & Wolff yard in Belfast. Titanic then sailed for Southampton to take on passengers. Moody's service as Sixth Officer earned him about $37 a month, although he was allowed his own cabin as compensation for his small salary.

On Titanic's 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 crewman 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 lifeboat Nos. 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 the water had come on the deck. It was a decision that would seal his fate. Moody was last seen by the ship's lamp trimmer, Samuel Hemming, on top of the officers' quarters trying to launch Collapsible A, an emergency lifeboat, just a few minutes before the final sinking. Lightoller also said; "Mr. Moody must have been standing quite close to me at the same time. He was on top of the quarters clearing away the collapsible boat on the starboard side, whilst Mr. Murdoch was working at the falls. If that is so, we were all practically in the water together."  

His body, if recovered, was never identified. Moody was the only junior officer on the Titanic to die with the ship.Biblical quote, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (see John 15:13)

A monument in Woodland Cemetery, Scarborough, commemorates Moody's sacrifice on the Titanic.