Commander Joseph Boxhall

Joseph Boxhall, at the time junior officer on duty when the iceberg struck, recalls the beautiful, still and very dark night and the mildness of the collision. He initially thought there was no damage and advised a passenger, who was holding a large piece of ice, to return to bed.

The International Ice Patrol was set up in 1914 in response to the loss of the Titanic. The patrol locates icebergs in the North Atlantic, follows and predicts their drift, and issues warnings to ships in the vicinity.

Originally broadcast 22 October 1962.