Steward Turnbull was a fictional Third Class steward of the RMS Titanic who appeared in the 2012 Miniseries.
Episode 1
When the ship is sinking, Turnbull holds down steerage passengers in a big room. He is asked if they can go up, but Turnbull orders him to wait. Steward Hart, who prefers to let them out, whispers something in his ear. Turnbull shouts again to the passengers that there's no danger.
Episode 2
When the ship is sinking, Turnbull is holding down Third Class passengers with Hart and two other stewards. Hart wants to rescue the women and children, but Turnbull keeps them all down. Hart brings a group of women and children up, but Turnbull quickly cuts off the line. Jim Maloney argues with him, but the arrogant Turnbull pushes him back down. When Peter Lubov interferes too, he grabs Turnbull and allows Maloney's family to escape. An unnamed steward frees Turnbull and closes the gate. Turnbull grabs his keys and locks the gate.
Episode 3
At boarding day, Turnbull assists the steerage passengers in boarding the ship.
Turnbull at the Third Class Church meeting
That Sunday, he oversees the Third Class church meeting.
That evening, the ship is sinking. The events of episode 2 are shown again. Sixth Officer Moody arrives at the scene, joined by two seamen. Turnbull tells Moody that the Italians are safely under lock and key[1]. Moody warns him he must not forget to let them out.
When fireman Mario Sandrini appears on the other side of the closed gate, Turnbull opens it and drags Sandrini in. All Third Class passengers escape, and Turnbull desperately tries to close it again, but he is pushed to the side and gives up. Meanwhile Sandrini is locked up with the Italians.
Turnbull leaves steerage and tries to get to the deck. Steward Sandrini stops him to ask where the Italians are locked up, but Turnbull brutally says "Why, are you anxious to join them?" Eventually, he reveals where they are. When Sandrini goes to rescue them, Turnbull shouts at him "You won't get them out! The door is locked! And it'll stay locked, until it hits the ocean bed!!![2]"
Turnbull leaves the flooding corridor and is never seen again, he died in the sinking because he was still on board when all lifeboats and all but one collapsibles were gone, and he also wasn't on the last collapsible.
Trivia
- He was portrayed by John Kazek.