Frans Olof Carlson

[Rolf Vonk]

Hello,

Is it true that Mr. Carlson boarded Titanic? He is mentioned on the ET passenger list, but I've heard some contradictory stories about this. I thought Mr. Carlson planned to embark Titanic in Cherbourg. He didn't took the Train Transatlantique from Paris, but went to Cherbourg with his own car. He had some car trouble and came late for boarding: Titanic was allready on her way to Queenstown. His name appeared on the list of lost. Therefor his family tried many times to get his name of that list, but from some reason it was mentioned many times again.

Hope someone could help me,

Greetings Rollie

 

[Peter Engberg-Klarström]

Dear Rollie, Frans Olov Carlsson was indeed a Titanic passenger. He was going to America to be a ship's officer on one of the American Line's ships. He was 33 years of age, and was from Värmland, a province in the west of Sweden. There is a memorial plaque in his parish church.
The Frank Carlson who had an American family was probably one of the numerous people who later claimed they were going to sail on the Titanic but didn't

Best regards,

Peter Engberg-Klarström

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for this information. Now I know there were two Carlsons. One from Sweden and one from America.

Greetings Rollie

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, Your information about Mr Carlson possibly missing the Titanic at Cherbourg coincides with information I have about a male passenger who had car trouble and missed the ship at Southampton. His family spent the next sixty five years trying to prove he did not die on Titanic. I don't recall his name, but I'll look it up and get back with you. Norm Olsen

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Norm,

I'm looking forward to that information! It's possible that the two stories are the same.

Greetings Rollie

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, Just to let you know, I'm looking through the books. As soon as I find it I'll let you know. Just wanted to keep in touch so you didn't think I forgot. Norm

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hello Norm,

I'll stay patience...

Greetings Rollie!

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, Norm Olsen here. You were right on Carlson. He was going to Cherbourg to board Titanic. He is Frank Carlson, an American visiting France, and hoping to catch the Titanic for home. His car broke down and as we say "he missed the boat". His name remained on the passenger list and when he didn't show on the Carpathia, he was listed as a casualty. Sixty years later his family was still trying to correct the error. Imagine if he passed away during that time, which I believe he did, the legal problems of his will. Somehow I had Southampton as the port he was boarding at. Oh well. Have a Happy New Year. Norm

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, I forgot to post the reference to my informaton on Mr Carlson. This comes from Walter Lord's The Night Lives On, page 36, first paragraph. Norm

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Norm,

Thanks for the information. So there was a Mr Carlson who "missed the boat". The one who was on board is another Carlson. I believe that our Mr Carlson was a second officer of some ship. But I don't know which ship.

Happy New Year to you too! We've just had a great family dinner and now I'm relaxing after that masses of food.

Greetings Rollie

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Rollie and Norm,

Rollie, The info on Carlsson on this site says: he was first mate on the liner St. Louis.

Norm, I see you have two separate discussion going on this subject; but now understand that the person with the car was Walter Lord's Frank Carlson? Perhaps you could ask Phil to combine the two Carlson discussions as one.

Lester

 

[Norman Olsen]

Rollie, Norm Olsen again. I just looked over the ET passenger list of Carlssons. Mr. Frans Carlsson lived in New York and was First Mate on the American Lines liner SS St. Louis which had to be laid up due to the coal strike. The company gave him a first class ticket on RMS Titanic to get home to New York. He boarded at Southampton and died in the sinking. Then there are two other Carlssons listed, all who boarded at Southampton and died in the sinking. One that stood out to me was Mr August Sigfrid Carlsson, who is believed to have died in the sinking, but was not declared dead until 8 March 1920. Yup, 1920. The article says they mistakenly put his date of death as 14 April 1912. Could this be our man who "missed the boat"? I can't find any Carlsson on this passenger list in any class that embarked at Cherbourg like Walter Lord says, or missed the boat due to car trouble. Thought I'd let you know this ittle tid bit. The last two Carlssons are third class passengers. Norm

 

[Rolf Vonk]

Hi Norm,

I don't think that A.S Carlsson is the man who missed the boat. A Dutch source says it was Mr Frank Olof Carlson who had car trouble. But that name is also strange. It could be possible that there was a Mr Frank Olof Carlson, but I wonder if that name is a kind of wrong interpretation of Mr Frans Olof Carlsson who indeed boarded the Titanic and is listed on the passenger list. Is it so that the whole story about that "due car trouble boat missed Carslon" is untrue because of this?

I think Walter Lord is very confusing. He told about several other people (like a Mr Belford) onboard who were in fact fictive, but also about real facts isn't it?

Greetings Rollie

 

[Alexandra Koeberer-Larson]

I am a descendent of this first class passenger. I currently live in Ohio. My relation is through my maternal grandmother born in Sweden. Just interested in locating other family members.

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Alexandra,

Lots of luck with your search.

It is only recently that I learned that Captain Carlsson had been a passenger. In The Night Lives On Walter Lord said [see quote below].

Carlson
Carlson.bmp (11.3 k)

That was before I heard of Captain Frans Carlsson: first mate on the liner St Louis stuck in Southampton because of the coal strike and concluded that he and Frank Carlson "traveller" were not one and the same person and that the White Star Passenger List entry Carlson, Mr Frank should read: Carlsson, Captain Frans Olof.