Mr August Ferdinand Nilsson was born in Östra Sallerup, Malmöhus (Skåne), Sweden on 18 October 1890.

He was the son of Johan Ole Nilsson (b. 1860), a miller, and Anna Jönsson (b. 1867) and brother to Oskar Bernhard (b. 1888) and Nils (b. 1896).

Living in Årröd, Östra Sallerup, August worked as a miller's hand to his father who would die in early 1912.

Nilsson was on his way from Östra Sallerup to St Paul, Minnesota and he was travelling with Olof Wendel, also from Östra Salerup. They travelled via Copenhagen and it is likely that they purchased their tickets there. They boarded the Titanic at Southampton as third class passengers (Nilsson on ticket number 350410 which cost £7, 17s, 1d).

Both men died in the sinking and their bodies, if recovered, were never identified.

The Mansion House Fund paid 875.52 Kr (£48) to his mother and she received a further 1822 Kr (£100) damage claims on 13 June 1914.