Quartermaster Harold Barnes

Male

Birth date: 22.9.1873 y.

Cabin: Quatermasters

Biography:

Standing at 5'10, with blue-grey eyes, brown hair and moustache, Harold Edwin Barnes is a thoroughly capable seaman with thirty-five years of experience in both steam and sail. A devout Catholic, he is known to be a favourite of many White Star officers and commanders.

Born in Scarborough as the second child of Mr and Mrs Hugh Barnes, he joined the crew of the full-rigger 'Lavinia', at the tender age of eight, much to the dismay of his mother. After spending seven years sailing to South America and California, he joined the Royal Navy as his father and grandfather had done before him. He steadily rose through the ranks, and by the time of his discharge in 1903, he had reached the rank of chief petty officer. Noted for his 'exemplary conduct', Barnes joined the Royal Naval Reserve and returned to sail, joining the windjammer 'Tuberose' on the Australian run, this time around with the approval of his mother.

In mid-1904, while on shore leave in Cape Town, Barnes met Argyll-born Edith Hughes and the two fell in love almost immediately. When the 'Tuberose' returned to Cape Town en route to Britain, Barnes proposed and Edith accepted under the condition that he would transition to steam, which in her opinion was safer compared to sail. Accepting the condition, the couple returned to Britain aboard the 'Tuberose', married and settled in Southampton where Barnes joined the Royal Mail Line as an able seaman, though quickly getting pushed into the position of quartermaster. His service with the company was short lived however, as a mere four months later, the couple moved to Liverpool and Barnes joined the White Star Line as a quartermaster aboard the 'Cymric' in January 1905.

Thanks to his popularity with the officers, which likely originated from his frequent volunteering, Barnes was transferred to the company's premier liners, beginning with the 'Cedric' in 1907. In March of the following year came the birth of his only child, a daughter named Mary Jane after her paternal and maternal grandmothers. After two years aboard the 'Adriatic', Barnes was transferred to the 'Olympic' for her maiden voyage. He remained aboard until the outbreak of war, thereafter being transferred to the 'Arabic'. He was aboard when she was torpedoed in August last year, having been saved from the water alongside Captain Finch.

When the 'Britannic' entered service as a hospital ship last December, Barnes was aboard for her maiden voyage, remaining with her until she was decommissioned in early June. When the youngest vessel of the ‘Olympic’-Class was returned to hospital service in September, Barnes was transferred back from the 'Laurentic'. With the vessel due to depart on her sixth voyage on Sunday, he will sign back on as a quartermaster once again.

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