Commander David ‘Davy’ Blair (b.1874-d.1955) was born on the 11th November 1874, at Newport, the son of Lieutenant-Colonel John Blair and Clementina Blair (née Stewart). He joined the Merchant Navy, qualifying as Second Mate on the 17th February 1896 and was eventually promoted to Master on 9th December 1901.
David Blair served with the White Star Line as Second Officer aboard the RMS Titanic during its early development and sea trials. In a last minute re-shuffle, amongst the ship’s officers at Southampton, he was ordered by White Star to leave the ship being replaced by a more senior officer and inadvertently took the crow’s nest telephone locker key with him in his haste (in which the ships binoculars and telescope were stored). Having unwittingly hampered the ability of the ship’s lookouts during its fateful Atlantic crossing, he is thought to have tragically, played an important part in the ship’s infamous sinking on 15th April 1912 and his matter was discussed, at length, during the formal inquiry. He kept hold of the locker key eventually passing it on to his daughter, Nancy, and she subsequently gave it to the British and International Sailors Society in the 1980s.
A year later, in 1913, whilst serving aboard the RMS Majestic and approaching Newfoundland a Fireman jumped from the deck into the sea. The ship carried out a search at the place where he was supposed to have gone overboard and after some time he was sighted close to the port bow. The starboard emergency boat was lowered but Mr. Blair, fearing that the boat might not reach him in time, jumped overboard from the port side of the vessel, swam to a lifebuoy which had been thrown overboard, and endeavoured to reach the man with it. He did not succeed, but, although weakened by the coldness of the sea, he managed to point out the whereabouts of the man to those in the boat, who rescued him and then picked up Mr Blair. There was a fog prevailing at the time and the water was very cold. For this gallant act he would later receive the Sea Gallantry Medal from King George V at Buckingham Palace.
During his Merchant Navy career David Blair was awarded The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Officer’s (O.B.E.); Sea Gallantry Medal, G.V.R., 1914-15 Star; British War and Victory Medals, 1914-1919; Royal Naval Reserve Decoration, G.V.R.; Legion d’Honneur, Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society medal, in silver; Royal Humane Society Medal, in bronze.
David Blair died at Hendon, Greater London on 10th January 1955 aged 80.
