George Alfred Hogg (March 7th, 1883 - 1946) was a Able-bodied Seamen and a lookout onboard the Titanic. He survived the sinking.
When he signed-on to the Titanic, on 6 April 1912, he gave his address as 44 High Street, (Southampton) and as a lookout he could expect to earn monthly wages of £5, 5s. He gave his previous ship as the Dongola but had served on other White Star ships as boatswain's mate as well as lookout.
On the night of 14 April, his next watch was to have been the 12 - 2 shift. He was in his bunk when the collision occurred, after which he and several of his shipmates rushed up on deck. Seeing nothing unusual they returned to their quarters. Seeing as it was almost time for his watch he got dressed. He and Evans relieved Fleet and Lee. Then, "we stopped about 20 minutes and lifted up...the weather cover and I saw people running about with lifebelts on." He tried to telephone the bridge but could get no answer. After that, he went straight to the boat deck and assisted in uncovering the lifeboats.
Hogg was sent by a boatswain for a 'Jacob's ladder'. As he was passing lifeboat 7, First Officer Murdoch ordered him into the boat to "see that those plugs are in that boat." After finding them in place, he jumped out of the boat, only to have Murdoch order Hogg back in where he helped load about 42 passengers. After being lowered into the water, "I asked a lady if she could steer and she said she could. I said: 'You may sit here and do this for me and I will take the stroke oar.'"
When the ship went down, they rowed back to see if they could pick up anybody. "I met another boat on my way, and they said to pull over. They said: 'We have done all in our power and we cannot do any more.' I laid off then." After which they rowed about a quarter of a mile from the area and attached to another lifeboat where they transferred four women, a baby and another man into his boat. "I wanted an extra gentlemen for oar pulling. One lady said I should not take any more in that boat. I said: 'I will take all I can get.'" They then laid off and waited until they saw the lights of the Carpathia.
"I said, 'It's all right now, ladies. Do not grieve. We are picked up." They then rowed up alongside the Carpathia where Hogg took a bowline and put it around the ladies to pull them aboard the steamer. He then got his passengers safely on the ship and he and his mate went on board and got blankets for themselves.
Hogg later stated that not one of the lookouts had 'night glasses', even though he had requested them.
If we had had glasses, we might've seen the berg earlier." Other than that, "Everything was done as far as I could see. Everybody did their best, ladies and gentlemen and sailormen....I think all the women ought to have a gold medal on their breast, God bless them. I shall always raise my hat to a woman after what I saw.
He also recounted that, like most of the other crewmen on the ship, he was confident that the Titanic was unsinkable.
In popular culture[]
1996 Miniseries Titanic[]
Richard Lautsch as "Lifeboat 7 Seamen" in the 1996 Miniseries Titanic
| “ |
You men know how to row?" |
” |
—William Murdoch and George Alfred Hogg | ||
George Hogg make a possible appearance in the 1996 miniseries, in which he was portrayed by actor Richard Lautsch, credited as "Lifeboat 7 Seamen".
He appeared during the loading of Lifeboat 7, where the panicked Bruce Ismay told him to immediately load up the boats. First Officer Murdoch then asked him if he knew how to row, which he answered could. Murdoch then told him to take command of boat 7 and get ready at the aft gangway to receive more passengers.