17th January 1923 – Olympic’s captain rushed to hospital

olympic with tugsOn 17th January 1923 Olympic arrived at New York with Assistant Commander E.R. White in command. Olympic had sailed from Southampton on 10th January, under Captain Hambelton, on his final voyage before retiring after 36 years with White Star. He collapsed on the bridge the following day, having suffered two gastric hæmorrhages, and made the rest of the crossing under the care of the ship’s doctor. Arriving at New York, Captain Hambelton was immediately taken by ambulance to a private hospital in Manhattan. Captain H.F. David, his successor as captain of Olympic, had been on board as an observer during the westbound crossing, and took command on the eastbound crossing. After treatment at the hospital, Captain Hambelton returned to the UK on 10th February, as a passenger aboardc. He retired immediately on his return. He died in a nursing home in Golders Green, London, on 27th April 1929.

Photo from my collection

Extracted from “White Star Line: The Company and the Ships” – see http://wp.me/P82xkB-8L for more details