Not lengthy after The Most interesting Hours was launched in theaters, we obtained an inquiry that just about knocked our clocks off (hehe). A younger man by the title of Matt Fitzgerald advised us he was the grandson of John J. Fitzgerald, the captain of the famed SS Pendleton tanker that went down off the coast of Chatham, on Cape Cod. The Coast Guard’s heroic rescue of the crew unfolds within the movie, which a couple of of us right here at Chelsea Clock had simply seen in theaters. Matt wished to know concerning the Chelsea Clock that was salvaged from the ship — had been they nonetheless in manufacturing, and the place may he get one? Because it’s practically unimaginable to maintain observe of every clock that leaves our manufacturing unit, up till that time we had by no means heard {that a} Chelsea got here off the Pendleton. Evidently we had been thrilled to meet up with Matt to talk about his grandfather’s legacy and what he considered the movie.
Chelsea Clock: How did you discover out concerning the Pendleton Chelsea Clock?
Matt Fitzgerald: I had gone to see the Most interesting Hours film with my household two weeks earlier than, and I used to be poking round on Fb to see if something was occurring in Chatham. I noticed that that they had the little cellular museum arrange. So my spouse and I went down there. It was the primary time I had seen something from the ship that my grandfather was on. It was so surreal to see it.
CC: We heard that final surviving member of the rescue crew is Andrew Fitzgerald–within the film they name him Fitz. Any relation?
MF: No, no relation, only a coincidence. Andy was within the Coast Guard, my grandfather was the captain of the Pendleton. Presumably they by no means met. However once I first learn the e-book I was like, “Dad, are we associated to him?”
CC: What are you able to inform us about your grandfather?
MF: Nicely, he’s my father’s father. And he went down with the bow part of the ship when my dad was solely three. A number of folks don’t get to fulfill their grandparents, however to undergo and see a few of the historical past of my household, I’m lucky to have that. I went to a different store that had the entrance web page of the Boston Globe from the day after the rescue, and there was an image of my grandpa and he appears precisely like my brother. It was superior.
CC: The film may be very imprecise on what occurred to him after the ship cut up in two. Do you might have any perception?
MF: Not likely. You noticed it within the movie, it was so sudden. They couldn’t get into port in order that they wished to trip out the storm on the ship and it simply abruptly cut up in half. There was no point out within the e-book of there even being a rescue effort on the bow. Everybody on the bow went down with the ship.
CC: The Most interesting Hours comes out on DVD this month. Any final ideas on the movie?
MF: For me it was an awesome film and a little bit of an emotional expertise. Clearly I knew the ending earlier than I went in. However being there with my household — my mother and father, my aunt, my brother — fascinated about what may have been, that was particular.
