The Story Of "Titanic Orphans" Who were Kidnapped By Their Dad

 "Titanic Orphans" were the only children to be rescued from the titanic without a parent    or guardian. Two little boys, Michel and Edmond Navratil, were placed on the ninth and    final lifeboat by their father.

As French brothers did not speak English, it took them months to identify who they were? The story began in 1912 when Michel Sr. divorced his wife, Marcelle.

She was awarded full custody of the boys. Mr.Navratil was only able to see the children over weekends. So he decided to take his sons with him and start a new life in America. He had purchased three second class tickets for the RMS Titanic, boarding under the assumed name of Louis M. Hoffman with his two sons.

He told other passengers that he was a widower, and that he was taking he was taking the boys to America. He rarely let them out of sight. Only once he allowed a swiss girl, Bertha Lehmann, to watch them while he played a card game.

 

On the night of the sinking, their father dressed his sons and took them to the boat deck.

My father entered our cabin where we were sleeping. He dressee me very warmly and took me in his arms. When I think of it now, i am very moved. He knew he was going to die.

 Michel said in an interview. After placing boys on the lifeboat, their father died during the sinking.

Michel Jr. recalled his father's last words "when your mother comes for you, as she surely will, tell her that I loved her and still do. Tell her I expected her to follow us, so that we might all live happily in the peace and freedom of the new world"

Titanic Orphans were among the 700 passengers picked up by the Carpathia. 

Because the boys spoke no English and had been under false names ("Louis" and "Lola"), tracking down their relatives was a difficult task. French brothers were dubbed by passengers as "Titanic Orphans". They stayed temporarily in the home of another survivor, Magaret Hays, on the Upper west side of Manhattan. 

It took a month and dozens of newspaper appeals with boy's photos before their mother, Marcelle, was found. She sailed to New York City and was finally reunited with her boys.

Marcelle took her beloved children back to France aboard White Star Line's Oceanic. The Titanic Orphans would spend the rest of their days in France. The younger brother, Edmond, fought with the french army during the WWII, was captured to the camp, where his health had seriously suffered. He died in 1953 aged 43.

The elder brother, Michel, worked as a university professor of psychology. He passed away at the age of 92, in 2001. Michel Navratil is known as the last Male Titanic survivor. 

The French Orphans are remembered till this date and many people are empathetic towards their tragic loss in life.