RMS Olympic: Titanics Sister

Known as the White Star Line’s ‘Old Reliable’, Olympic has been overshadowed by its ill-fated sisters Titanic and Britannic for over 90 years.

The first of a new breed of superliner, Olympic was the largest ship in existence when first built, some 50% bigger than its nearest rival. One of the first ships to introduce Turkish baths and a swimming pool, Olympic carried more troops in WW1 than any other comparable steamship and was the only liner ever to sink a submarine by ramming it.

Olympic survived until 1935 when, despite the worrying behaviour of Hitler’s Germany, the cost of maintaining the ageing ship and the clamouring workforce in depression hit Jarrow saw the vessel go for scrap to the famous Palmer’s yard. It was perhaps a premature end for a liner that had set new benchmarks for style, comfort and reliability, forcing competing lines into major fleet re-evaluations. At the time of Titanic ‘s sinking (which Olympic , some 500 miles away, tried in vain to reach in time) it was the slightly older sister that was better known and held in higher esteem by the public. In its 1920s heyday, Olympic was the favourite ship of royalty and celebrities as well.

With such seminal conceptual and detail breakthroughs to its credit and a fascinating life in service, it is a mystery as to why Olympic has been previously neglected by maritime historians.

How impressive it is that the omission has been so effectively redressed by Mark Chirnside, a student of history and politics at Leicester University who has produced this, his second book for Tempus, at the tender age of 20.

‘RMS Olympic’: Titanic’s Sister
By Mark Chirnside.
Published by Tempus Publishing.
ISBN 0 7524 3148 X.
Paperback, 320 pages
Price £25.