Unidentified Passengers

[marlene brown]

Hello. I am doing research for a novel and am interested in unidentified bodies of passengers. It seems strange and very sad that so many people were drowned and remained unidentified. Having looked at some of the list on the site, it does appear that some people had addresses on them but were buried at sea. I am wondering why it is that these people were not able to be traced? And when were they buried at sea - immediately their bodies were recovered? I am confused and any help would be gratefully appreciated. Many thanks and apologies for ignorance.

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>...it does appear that some people had addresses on them but were buried at sea. <<

I'm afraid that for the most part, it was utterly necessery to do this. None of the ships sent out to look for bodies had anything like proper mortuary facilities so their ability to keep and preserve bodies was extremely limited. They had to make do with what was loaded aboard and in the end, it just wasn't enough.

The problem with identifying some of these people was that there just wasn't that much to go on. Papers were lost, bodies had few personal effects, and there was nothing like a national I.D. card or licenses which we take for granted today to help.

[Moderator's note: This post and the one above it, originally posted in another topic, have been moved to the one which is discussing the same subject. JDT]

 

[marlene brown]

Thank you so much for your response.

 

[Dmitry]

I am interested, where keep all documents of Titanic victims in Halifax? Photo and video from MC Benett expedition, posthumous victims photos, results of medical experts - all of this was shown in 2002 film 'Lost Souls:Titanic's Ghosts', but only in fragments. Who now something about this?