Despite both inquiries into the disaster, nothing clarified why the lookouts were not provided with binoculars, although there are many possible explanations such as one that the White Star Line steamers' lookouts did not particularly use them. It has been also mentioned that Blair accidentally took the keys of the cabinet containing the binoculars with him. This is sometimes attributed to the last-minute change in the hierarchy of the ship when officer David Blair was removed from the maiden voyage crew (due to the knock-on effect of Henry Tingle Wilde being appointed chief officer) without mentioning where the binoculars had been located. Despite Fleet and his fellow lookouts having repeatedly requested to be provided with binoculars, they were not available for the lookouts. The night was calm and moonless, which made it difficult to spot the icebergs due to the lack of waves breaking against the base of the iceberg and reflection. They were passed the order given earlier by second officer Charles Lightoller to watch out for small ice. At 22:00 (10 p.m.) that night, Fleet and his fellow lookout Reginald Lee replaced George Symons and Archie Jewell at the nest. The trip was uneventful until the night of 14 April 1912.
The lookouts, six in total, made two-hour shifts due to extreme cold in the crow's nest. The ship made two stops, first in Cherbourg, France, and then in Queenstown, Ireland. The crow's nest from which Fleet and Lee spotted the iceberg can be seen in the picture.įleet boarded the Titanic in Southampton on 10 April 1912.