A fascinating archive relating to the maritime career of the Southampton Harbour pilot who navigated the Titanic at the start of her ill-fated maiden voyage has come to light.
George Bowyer joined the luxury liner in Southampton on the morning of April 10, 1912.
He stood alongside Captain Edward Smith on the bridge and guided the 46,000 tonne ship down Southampton Water.
He was in charge when Titanic had a near-collision with the liner S.S New York on the way out of port.
The massive ship's increased displacement caused the smaller liner to be dragged towards it. Capt Smith stepped in to prevent an actual collision.
Mr Bowyer carried on navigating Titanic into The Solent and until she reached the Nab tower, south east of Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
He then got off and would have watched as the Titanic headed towards Cherbourg in France, her first port of call.
From there she stopped at Queenstown, Ireland, before steaming across the Atlantic where she struck an iceberg and sank with the loss of 1,522 lives.
In 1918 Mr Bowyer piloted Titanic's sister ship Olympic out of Southampton after it had been converted into a troop ship during the First World War.
He was unable to get off due to adverse weather conditions and was on board when the ship sunk a German U-boat by ramming it in the English Channel.
It later emerged that U-103 had been preparing to torpedo Olympic but the German crew were not able to flood the two stern torpedo tubes in time.
Mr Bowyer's previously-unseen archive, which includes his maritime logbooks and his pocket compass, stopwatch and whistle, is now being sold for the first time by a direct descendant.
The collection is being sold with auctioneers Henry Aldridge and Son of Devizes, Wilts, for a total estimate of £15,000.
Mr Bowyer's logbook is the most valuable item and is tipped to fetch £8,000.
It includes his entry for April 10, 1912, which reads: "Took away the Titanic, the biggest ship in the world."
Four days later he wrote: "Titanic struck iceberg and was wrecked with the loss of about 1600."
Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: "It is a comprehensive and fascinating archive relating to someone who was there on the bridge of Titanic next to Captain Smith at the very start of her doomed maiden voyage.
"George Bowyer would have discussed with Captain Smith and the officers the draft of water and other considerations in piloting the ship down Southampton Water.
"It is documented that Captain Smith had to step in during the 'New York incident' which isn't mentioned in Bowyer's logbook.
"Little did he know that when he got off Titanic in The Solent the tragic fate that she and her passengers would suffer just four days later.
"There are other important items in the archive such as his compass and watch that he no doubt would have used during his career, although we don't know if he had these with him on board Titanic."
Also in the collection is a solid silver writing box inscribed with the words 'Presented by the Chairman, Directors and Managers of the WHITE STAR LINE to Mr George W. Bowyer on his retirement 31st Dec. 1929'.
The item is valued at £1,800.
The role that Mr Bowyer carried out on Titanic was depicted in the 1958 movie A Night to Remember when he is seen on the bridge and greets Captain Smith.
Mr Bowyer, who was employed by Trinity House, died in 1945 aged 86.
The archive is being sold on April 23.
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