Percy Penny, 33, was a saloon cabin bed steward who worked on board Lusitania with his brother-in-law, Vernon Livermore. They both lived in Liverpool, married to Hungarian sisters with the last name of Czervenka. Penny was on the port side of the ship during the sinking. Both Penny and Livermore survived.
Life
Penny was married to Ethel Czervenka, a Hungarian who served aboard the Carpathia when that ship made her historic rescue of the survivors of the Titanic in April 1912. Ethel’s sister, Julia, was also a stewardess on the Carpathia on that voyage. For the crew’s heroism, members of the crew were given medals. Julia Czervenka was married to fellow Lusitania crewman Vernon Livermore, the ship’s bugler. The two couples lived in Liverpool, in houses that backed onto one another.
Lusitania
On board Lusitania‘s last voyage, Penny was the steward in charge of cabins B-94 through 110, even, on the port side. When the ship was sinking, he assisted Charles Hill into a lifejacket though Penny did not have one on himself.
Penny recalled that the list of the ship made launching the port side lifeboats impossible, and that all they could do was help the women and children into the lifeboats that no one would lower. He also recounted that the sinking happened so quickly that the seriousness of the situation did not register for many passengers.
From the New York Times, 10 May 1915:
“There was no panic and little excitement . . . The shock was so sudden and so great that the people scarcely had time to learn what had happened. The same sort of confidence which made the Titanic’s passengers prefer to sticking to the ship to taking to the boats was apparent. there appeared to be an idea among the passengers that the Lusitania would not sink.
“So fast did the water rise that before the last boat was launched the water was level with the boat deck, and people simply stepped into the boat. I walked into the sea and was drawn down by the vortex of the sinking steamer, but came up again.”
Penny was drawn down into the water by the sinking Lusitania’s suction before the force of her exploding boilers blew Penny back to the surface.
Ethel and Julia received separate but simultaneous news that Penny and Livermore were safe, leading to a joyful reunion for the two sisters on a Liverpool tram.
References
Preston, Diana. Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy. Berkley Books, 2002.
New York Times, 10 May 1915.
War Medals, Orders and Decorations To be sold by auction at Sotheby’s, in the Book Room. Day of Sale: Tuesday 18 July 2006 at 12.00 noon. Web. 27 July 2011. <http://www.mortonandeden.com/pdfcats/21web.pdf>.
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