Johan Viktor Bengtsson was a passenger on Titanic.
Early life[]
Johan Viktor Bengtsson was born in Kråkudden, Fjälasjö, Halland, Sweden in July 7th, 1885. His father was Bengt Karl Kaspersson, a crofter. Bengt was married to Anna Katarina Bengtsdotter. Johan had many half-brothers and half-sisters. Two of his elder brothers, Carl Adolf and Johan Emil emigrated at some point to Illnois in the United States. Johan was often called Jan or John by his close relatives.
When John grew up, he worked at a sawmill in Lia, four kilometers from home, for a couple of years. He also participated as a driver in a railway construction in Denmark in 1909 or 1910.
Titanic[]
On April 10, Johan had boarded the Titanic when she left the Southampton pier after noon for her Maiden Voyage. He was on his way to his brother Emil at 607 5th Ave in Moune, Illinois. He had a ticket for Third Class and seemingly traveled alone.
On April 14 at late night, Titanic had a collision with an iceberg when she couldn’t avoid the large mass in time after it was sighted less than a minute before the contact. She had damage on her starboard side below the waterline and as a result, started taking on water. On April 15, after midnight, Captain Smith was informed by designer Thomas Andrews that the ship had too much compartments breached, as concluded from their inspections. She would founder. Upon that, an evacuation was started. After well over 2 hours, Titanic sank.
John lost his life during the sinking. His body was not recovered.
After his death[]
After the disaster, his family first thought that John had been saved, but a few weeks later they received word from the White Star Line that he had perished. From the charity fund, the parents received SEK 875:52 (£48) and on July 11, 1914 they were compensated with damages of SEK 1366:50 (£75).