A LETTER ranked by expert Andrew Aldridge as the most important written on board the fated Titanic is expected to fetch up to £80,000 when it comes under the hammer in Devizes on October 28.

He said: "It is exceptional on every level including content, historical context and rarity. It is handwritten on oversized embossed on-board Titanic stationery by First Class victim Alexander Oskar Holverson to his mother on April 13th, 1912, well after Titanic had embarked on her maiden voyage and merely a day before her encounter with an iceberg.

"Since the ship had no further ports of call before reaching New York, Holverson's intent would have been to post the letter in New York.

"This letter represents one of the last known letters to have survived the sinking and the last known letter written on board by a victim. Since it was recovered from Holverson's body he obviously had still hoped to be able to send it on to his mother from New York.

"As she received it after the ship foundered this may be the only on-board letter written by a victim and delivered to its recipient without postage to date."

The letter mentions John Jacob Astor who at the time was the richest man in the world and a member of New York Society. Mr Aldridge said: " He is mentioned in the letter, the first time he is mentioned onboard the Titanic in any onboard correspondence."

Holverson was in a position to describe life on board. The letter reads: "This boat is giant in size and fitted up like a palatial hotel…If all goes well we will arrive in New York Wednesday Mr. and Mrs. John Jacob Astor is on this ship. He looks like any other human being even though he has millions of money. They sit out on deck with the rest of us…"

The letter will be on show from today (Thur) at Henry Aldridge and Son in Bath Road.