Titanic survivor's ashes scattered

[Andrew Clarkson]

The ashes of the last survivor of the Titanic have been scattered in the waters where the ill-fated ship set sail.

Millvina Dean, who was nine weeks old when the liner sank after hitting an iceberg, died on May 31 this year.

The disaster in the early hours of April 15, 1912, resulted in the deaths of 1,517 people in the north Atlantic, largely due to a lack of lifeboats.

Miss Dean's ashes were scattered by her partner, Bruno Nordmanis, from a small launch in berth 43/44 at Southampton Docks - the point from which the Titanic departed 97 years ago.

Mr Nordmanis, 87, from Woodlands in Southampton, was accompanied by a small group of friends and relatives, as well as the port's chaplain, the Reverend Andrew Huckett.

"It has not been a sad day at all but a day full of nice memories," said David Hill, of the British Titanic Society. "We had her for 97 years and we feel lucky for that. We would have had her for another 97 years, if we could have. It was a very moving ceremony and the sun shone on her right at the end. She was a lovely lady and anyone who met her would say exactly the same."

Elizabeth Gladys Dean, known to friends as Millvina, was born on February 2, 1912 and boarded the doomed ship with her parents Bertram Frank and Georgette Eva and her elder brother Bertram.

The family, who were third-class passengers, were emigrating to Wichita, Kansas, where her father had hoped to open a tobacconist shop.

When the accident happened, her father felt the ship shudder and quickly told his family to get on deck. Miss Dean, her mother and brother were among the first steerage passengers to escape the sinking liner but Mr Dean was unable to get on to a lifeboat and perished in the disaster.

The family returned to Southampton, where Miss Dean went on to spend most of her life.

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