John George Phillips
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John 'Jack' George Phillips (April 11, 1887 - April 15, 1912) was radio officer on board the fatal maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic. Born Farncombe, England, Phillips was educated locally and, after an initial career in the Post Office, he became Chief Marconi Officer on the RMS Titanic.
When the Titanic collided with an iceberg on April 14, 1912, Phillips remained at his post broadcasting the then international distress signal "CQD". On the suggestion of the junior radio operator Harold Sydney Bride, he switched to the new code "SOS" at 12:45 am. Taking the situation humourously Harold said: 'Send SOS, it's the new call, and it may be your last chance to send it.'. It is a myth that this was the first SOS call ever to be sent.
Phillips remained at his post diligently transmitting the distress signal up to the point when the dynamos stopped working because the engine rooms took water. Phillips made it to a raft but later died of exhaustion.
The Phillips Memorial Cloister in Godalming was designed by Gertrude Jekyll to commemorate his bravery.
External links
- John George Phillips biography from Encyclopedia Titanica (http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/bio/c/v/phillips_jg.shtml)