John Fredrik Alexander Holm, 43 years was born 20 February 1869 the son of Elsa Nilsson who lived at Klarabergsvägen 69, Stockholm. From the age of two months, John was looked after Charlotta Johansson of Hamngatan 394, Stockholm. He was always regarded as her and her husband Nils Peter Johansson's son.

John went through school and navigating school in Karlshamn, Blekinge, Sweden. Nils died in 1912 and the 68-year-old Charlotta became dependent upon John's income. He worked as a ship's skipper in New York but his plan was to settle down in Karlshamn because he was engaged to shipowner's daughter Emmy Tanngren. However, he decided to continue working for a while for the yacht-club, C. C. Ulmers Park, Baths Beach and then look for a new job.

John travelled to Southampton via Denmark with Adelia Landergren and Mauritz Ådahl, both were traveling from the port of Karlshamn.

After the collision, Holm and Ådahl helped Adelia Landergren into lifeboat 13 but did not enter themselves. John's body was never found.

The Mansion House Fund paid 875:52 Kr (£48) to Elsa Nilsson and 911 Kr (£50) to Charlotta Johansson. 2733 Kr (£150) in damages were paid to Elsa Nilsson on 26 June 1914.

After his death, the Swedish consulate tried to investigate his wealth and found all bank accounts had been emptied before his trip to Sweden in 1911. When consulate personnel entered his apartment they found very little furniture, just some dirty clothes and unsellable junk with the net result of minus $4.90 for the consulate for moving the things to the Public Administrator. A rumour that he owned another apartment in Miami, Florida was found to be false. Emmy never moved to the apartment she and John had prepared in Sweden, the furniture was sold at auction. Emmy never remarried and went on living with her parents.