Jon, I seem to be recommending a lot of books lately. I think you would enjoy "The odyssey of C.H. Lightoller" if you can find a copy. Among other things he was the senior surviving officer of Titanic.
From Wikipedia - "As the officer in charge of loading passengers into lifeboats on the port side, Lightoller strictly enforced the "
women and children first" protocol, not allowing any male passengers to board the lifeboats unless they were needed as auxiliary seamen.
[2][3] Lightoller stayed until the last, was sucked against a grate and held under water, but then was blown from the grate by a rush of warm air as a boiler exploded. He found refuge on an upturned collapsible boat with 30 others, showing his fellow survivors how to shift their weight to avoid being swamped, until their rescue at dawn.
[...]
Later, in retirement, he further distinguished himself in World War II, by providing and sailing as a volunteer on one of the "
little ships" that played a part in the
Dunkirk evacuation. Rather than allow his motoryacht to be requisitioned by the Admiralty, he sailed the vessel to Dunkirk personally and
repatriated 127 British servicemen.
[8]"
The movie
Dunkirk features a plot line inspired by the latter occurrence.