Alfred Nourney, also known as Baron Alfred von Drachstedt (26 February 1892 – 15 November 1972), was a
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
-born
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
gentleman who survived
the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.
Nourney was 20 when he travelled as a first-class passenger on board .
[Encyclopedia Titanica Biography](_blank)
Encyclopedia Titanica.
Titanic
Travelling under the false name and title of Baron Alfred von Drachstedt, Nourney boarded the ''Titanic'' in
Cherbourg, France
Cherbourg-Octeville () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. , as a second-class passenger.
His request to a purser to be transferred to a first-class cabin was granted, largely because of his supposedly aristocratic status.
He had purchased expensive items, including clothes, jewellery, walking sticks, two sets of toilet articles and a fountain pen, in order to support his pretence.
On the night of 14 April 1912, he was playing
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
with other men in the first-class smoking room. When Nourney first sensed a disturbance, he briefly left to investigate,
but returned to continue playing.
Minutes later, they became aware of the situation and boarded
Lifeboat #7 without difficulties, lowering away at 12:45am. While the others were rowing, he sat motionless, smoking cigarettes.
He also carried a pistol which he used to fire gunshots into the air through the night. They were rescued by the at 5:10am.
While on board the ''Carpathia'', he rested on a pile of blankets which were to be distributed among the survivors. A woman who entered the room pulled the uppermost blanket, making Nourney roll onto the floor. As everyone applauded the woman, he disappeared.
Upon disembarking on 18 April in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, he said he had lost all his money on the ''Titanic'' and wished to quickly return to Europe. He returned to France and then to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western States of Germany, state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 m ...
, Germany, where his mother lived.
Later life
During the 1920s, he was a salesman for
Daimler-Benz AG
The Mercedes-Benz Group AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is one of the world's leading car manufacture ...
, and he competed in motorsports.
He settled in
Bad Honnef
Bad Honnef () is a spa town in Germany near Bonn in the Rhein-Sieg district, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the border of the neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate. To the north it lies on the slopes of the Drachenfels (“Dragon's Ro ...
, Germany, where he became an honour member of the "Rot-Weiss" Tennis Club.
He married and had two daughters.
Death
Nourney died on 15 November 1972, and was the last remaining adult male from Titanic's first class who survived.
[Mjåland, Arne (1972]
Obituary
Encyclopedia Titanica. (Translated from German)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nourney, Alfred
1892 births
1972 deaths
People from Cologne
RMS Titanic survivors
Dutch emigrants to Germany
20th-century Dutch people