Mr Arne Joma Fahlstrøm

Mr Arne Jonas Fahlstrøm, 19, from Slemdal, Christiania (Oslo) was born on 5 July 1893 the only child of actors Alma and Johan Fahlstrøm.

Fahlstrøm's parents were a prominent couple in Christiania in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Both were well known actors and theatre instructors. Johan was also a well recognised artist. They had owned two theatres in Christiania ("Fahlstrøm's Teater"), and had been very much involved with several others in the capital and other towns in Norway for over 30 years before they decided to retire in 1911.

Meanwhile, Arne was finishing his studies in Christiania, and after doing very well in his exams, his parents treated him to a trip to America where he intended to study Cinematography.

Arne started off from Christiania to Hull on 3 April on board the Wilson Line steamship Oslo. He paid 320 NKr for his first class ticket. His destination was to be Bayonne in New Jersey. He boarded the Titanic at Southampton on 10 April as a second class passenger.

It is unclear what Arne did on board the Titanic, and his whereabouts during the fateful evening are also unknown. His body, if recovered, was never identified.

E. H. Bull made an announcement in New York Times a few days after the disaster and asked for "information regarding Fahlstrøm, who perhaps has succumbed".

His parents, who heard about the disaster during a holiday in Copenhagen, never really recovered from the loss of Arne. They would later create a fund in his name for poor theater artists. To help avoiding further shipping disasters, they donated nearly all their fortune to the Norwegian Lifeboat Association (NSSR). In return the association had to build a lifeboat with Arne's name so that he would never be forgotten. Two Arne Fahlstrøm were built, and the first one was completed in 1913. During its 33 year long service it saved 32 people from a certain death and assisted nearly 1800 ships. The second one, a motor boat, was sold in 1975.

References
Claes-Göran Wetterholm (1988, 1996, 1999) Titanic. Prisma, Stockholm. ISBN 91 518 3644 0

Contributors
Per Kristian Sebak
Klaus Egvang, Denmark
Leif Snellman, Finland