And they gave him a toy boat to play with

The Navratil boys, it's a bit of a sad story actually.

Michel Navratil and his wife, Marcelle, separated after both his business (he was a tailor) started to fail and he found evidence she was cheating on him. Marcelle gained custody of Michele and Edmond. Devastated to lose his sons, his wife, and almost his career- he took the opportunity for their Easter visit to take the boys and go to America.

Easter that year was April 7, and Titanic sailed April 10th, so Michele's plan was incredibly last minute. They sailed from France, to Monte Carlo, to London where he booked last minute tickets on Titanic under the name "Hoffman"- the name of a friend.

Navratil didn't actually know if he was going to be allowed into America, and while on board wrote a letter to his mother asking if she would take the boys should they be told to leave the country. Reportedly, he only left the boys out of his sight once on the journey to play a few hands of cards.

On April 15th, Michel Navratil put his sons in Boat D, telling his oldest to tell his mother he loved her and always had. He died, was picked up by the Mackay Bennet and because he was traveling under an assumed name, was buried in the Jewish cemetery in Halifax that held Titanic's victims.

The boys, speaking no English and being toddlers, were dubbed "the Titanic Orphans" by the press as they were the only unclaimed children. They were taken in by first class passenger Margaret Hayes while the search for family was conducted. Thankfully, their mother recognized them in a newspaper and White Star Line paid for her voyage to and from New York to retrieve them.

Michele went on to live a long and happy life, becoming a professor. He finally visited his fathers grave in the mid-90's

Edmond went on to fight in WW2 but died at the age of 43 after the treatment he suffered in a POW camp

Honestly, I don't think people appreciate just how much more interconnected the world was before the mid-20th Century population explosion.

Whenever I hear interesting tales from history, the same people, places, and events pop up together again, and again.

Just like how John Wilkes-Booth's brother saved Lincoln's son from being run over by a train days before JWB shot Lincoln.

Sometimes it seems as though the world only held a few dozen people 😅

I always forget that boys used to wear dresses.

"The reunited mother and children then sailed back to Europe together on the Oceanic."

I can't imagine that was a relaxing trip.

It's like kidnapping your own kids, then drowning while they're saved.

Isn't it ironic, don'tcha think?

Now that would have made a better movie than Leo's pride and prejudice on a boat.

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only time fat pays off in freezing water