Chelsea veteran Mr. Sydney Hanson (78), of No. 6 N Sutton Dwellings, Cale Street, Chelsea, has died in hospital after a long illness.

Mr. Hanson who was very active in rescue work during the second world war, and his reminiscences were printed in the NEWS.

He had lived in the same flat at Sutton Dwellings since they were erected some 52 years ago.

He was born in Birmingham, but soon moved to Chelsea. where he started work as a maintenance plumber.  But in 1917 he left his job to go to sea.

About 30 years ago he passed as a Freemason and between 1935 and 1953 he wrote six books on the subject. He was also a regular lecturer on Freemasonry at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park. Every Sunday without fail, and even some Saturday evenings, he would turn up at the Park to give his lectures. The subject was even carried on in his own home, where friends and neighbours would be told about it.

The widow, Mrs. Vera Hanson (58), was one of the 711 survivors of the Titanic disaster, in which 1,490 people lost their lives.

Cremation was at Putney Vale last week.