‘Could it have been that we supplied whistles to the Titanic?’: Manufacturer uncovers hidden link to iconic Northern Ireland ship on 114th anniversary of disaster

As Northern Ireland marks 114 years since the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, a Birmingham manufacturer has revealed a remarkable historical connection to the world-famous ship – one that went unnoticed for decades.

ACME Whistles, based in Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter, has confirmed it supplied whistles used aboard the Titanic before its maiden voyage in 1912.

The discovery was made by managing director Simon Topman, who stumbled upon the link in an unexpected way – while watching the blockbuster film Titanic with his children.

Recalling the moment, he said the realisation came during the film’s emotional climax, when the character Rose, played by Kate Winslet, uses a whistle to alert rescuers.

“As the film approached its climax, Rose had watched her new-found lover sink beneath the Atlantic and then she picked up a whistle and blew it. It was heard by sailors searching for survivors and she was rescued,” he explained.

“I just knew the original used had to be an ACME whistle. Could it have been that we supplied whistles to the Titanic?

“I missed the rest of the film, rushed back to the factory, and there, inside an ancient, oil-stained ledger, was a complete record of everything we had supplied since 1870. Sure enough, we had supplied 30 whistles to the White Star Line for use on the Titanic in 1912.”

Remarkably, although ACME Whistles had been used in the 1997 film, with Kate Winslet’s character seen blowing one during the climactic scenes, the company only made the connection after watching the film in full, not realising at the time that their own historic products were featured on screen.

From the factory records, Simon then uncovered the original tooling and records still preserved in the Birmingham workshop.

“From that ledger, I went to the oak pigeonholes in the press shop and found the original tooling used to make those whistles. We then remade 50 perfect replicas using the original tools and machinery that would have been in use at the time, in the same workshop,” he said.

“It was our own Titanic discovery that we had been completely unaware for decades that we had made that connection all those years ago.”

Founded in 1870, ACME Whistles moved into its Jewellery Quarter factory in 1909 and would have supplied the White Star Line shortly afterwards. The company remains in the same Barr Street premises today, still using the original workshop, fly presses, tools, dies and traditional hand-finishing techniques passed down through generations.

Whistles played a vital role aboard Titanic, used by officers to signal commands, help people, coordinate lifeboats and maintain order during the evacuation.

Historical accounts suggest Fifth Officer Harold Lowe used an officer’s whistle during the sinking, with the ACME Thunderer widely believed to be the type used at the time.

Ben McFarlane, head of sales and Marketing at ACME Whistles, added: “We’re still in the same building as when the original whistles supplied for the Titanic were made, and we’re still using some of the same machinery, which is something quite special for Birmingham and its heritage as the City of a Thousand Trades.”