'I didn't know who I was': Family's DNA discovery leads to Belfast reunion after 120 years
Before the Titanic was even an idea, four brothers set sail to Canada as part of the 'Home Children' wave.
Now, more than 120 years later, their ancestors have met in Belfast following a lifetime of uncertainty about their heritage.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Live
4 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
World's oldest person who survived two world wars turns 116 in UK care home
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The world's oldest living person, British woman Ethel Caterham, has marked her 116th birthday. Surrey care home resident Ethel claimed the title of the world's oldest living individual in April following the passing of Sister Inah Canbarro Lucas in Brazil. Born on 21 August 1909, Ethel, the last surviving citizen from the reign of King Edward VII, came into the world three years before the Titanic tragedy and eight years prior to the Russian Revolution. Having witnessed four coronations, survived two world wars and the Covid pandemic, Ethel has been a Surrey resident for over half a century. She currently resides in a Lightwater care home where she even has a garden named in her honour. Ethel was born on 21 August 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, and grew up in nearby Tidworth as the second youngest of eight siblings. At the age of 18 in 1927, she embarked on a three-week solo ship journey to India to work as an au pair for a military family in the region, which was still under British rule at the time. Upon returning to the UK in 1931, she met her future husband Norman Caterham at a dinner party. The couple tied the knot in a ceremony at Salisbury Cathedral in 1933, reports the Mirror. Norman served as a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps and they initially resided in Harnham, close to their wedding venue, before Norman was posted to the former British colonies of Hong Kong and Gibraltar. During her time in Hong Kong, Mrs Caterham established a nursery where she taught English and enjoyed games with the youngsters. The Caterhams started their family in Gibraltar before deciding to return to Britain to bring up their two daughters. Norman passed away in 1976. Having been born in 1909, she would have reached 30 when the Second World War commenced. She would have celebrated her 44th birthday during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Ethel continued driving until the age of 97, and credits her longevity to "never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like". For her 115th birthday celebration last August, she marked the milestone with staff and fellow residents at Hallmark Lakeview care home. The care home honoured the occasion by christening part of their garden 'Ethel's Garden' and transformed her patio space with fresh outdoor furniture, plant pots, a water feature and windchimes. Inder Hanzra, general manager at Hallmark Lakeview Care Home, commented: "There's nothing Ethel enjoys more than sitting in the sunshine and listening to the birds." Her care home released a statement saying: "Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year. Ethel will spend the day quietly with her family so that she can enjoy it at her own pace. Thank you again for your kind wishes on this special day."
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Oldest person in the world turns 116 in a Surrey care home
Ethel, born in the reign of King Edward VII, is celebrating her birthday 'quietly' The oldest living person in the world, UK woman Ethel Caterham, has celebrated her 116th birthday. Ethel, who lives in a care home in Surrey, became the world's oldest living person in April following the death of Sister Inah Canbarro Lucas in Brazil. Ethel, the last surviving citizen of King Edward VII, was born on August 21, 1909 - three years before the Titanic sank and eight years before the Russian Revolution. Ethel has witnessed four coronations, lived through two world wars and survived the Covid pandemic. She has lived in Surrey for more than 50 years and currently lives in a care home in Lightwater where she even has a garden named after her. Born on August 21, 1909 in Shipton Bellinger, Hampshire, Ethel was raised in nearby Tidworth as the second youngest of eight children. Turning 18 years old in 1927, she travelled alone by ship for three weeks to India to become an au pair to a military family in the region then still ruled by the British Empire. Returning to the UK four years later in 1931, she met her future husband Norman Caterham at a dinner party and they were married at a ceremony at Salisbury Cathedral in 1933. Norman became a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Army Pay Corps and the couple originally lived in Harnham, not far from where they married, before Norman was stationed in the former British colonies of Hong Kong and Gibraltar. During her time in Hong Kong, Mrs Caterham set up a nursery where she taught English and played games with the children. The Caterhams began their family in Gibraltar and decided to return to the UK to raise their two daughters. Norman died in 1976. Being born in 1909, she would have been 30 years old when the Second World War began. She would have been 44 years old during Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953. Ethel did not stopping driving until she was aged 97, and says her secret to a long life is "never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like". On her 115th birthday last year in August, she celebrated the event alongside staff and residents at the Hallmark Lakeview care home. To mark the occasion, the care home renamed a section of their garden 'Ethel's Garden' and revamped her patio area with new outdoor furniture, potted plants, a water feature and windchimes. General manager at Hallmark Lakeview Care Home, Inder Hanzra said: "There's nothing Ethel enjoys more than sitting in the sunshine and listening to the birds." Ethel's three granddaughters Kate Henderson, Julia Pauling, Lucy Robinson regularly visit her accompanied by the 115-year-old's five great-grandchildren. BBC Radio Surrey spoke to Ethel in 2020, the year she survived Covid pandemic, where she said: "I've taken everything in my stride, the highs and lows. I've been all over the world, and I've ended up in this lovely home, where everyone is falling over themselves for me, giving me everything I want." A statement released by her care home said: "Ethel and her family are so grateful for all of the kind messages and interest shown to her as she celebrates her 116th birthday this year. Ethel will spend the day quietly with her family so that she can enjoy it at her own pace. Thank you again for your kind wishes on this special day."
Metro
12-08-2025
- Metro
How four people survived the second-deadliest plane crash that killed 520
Only four people were pulled out alive from the wreckage of the doomed Japan Airlines flight 123 after it crashed on a mountainside. One of the world's deadliest plane disasters struck four decades ago when the passenger jet carrying 524 people crashed shortly after takeoff. Four people, including an eight-year-old child, miraculously escaped the decimated wreckage after the Boeing 747SR-46 plane crashed onto a remote mountain area of Mount Takamagahara. The Japan Airlines flight 123, known as JAL123, remains Japan's worst aviation accident to date. It has been dubbed the Titanic of Japan's aviation world. This is the story of the doomed Japan Airlines flight 123 that will never be forgotten. The Boeing plane took off from Tokyo Haneda Airport and headed towards Itami, Osaka, as usual on August 12, 1985. The plane was packed with families flying on their summer vacations to escape the hot and humid Tokyo weather – a total of 509 passengers and a 15-strong crew. But just 12 minutes after takeoff, parts of the plane exploded due to decompression, causing the ceiling near the toilets to collapse and tearing a hole in the fuselage designed to protect the passengers. To make matters worse, the explosion damaged the tail fin and the four hydraulic lines on the plane, causing it to rise and fall uncontrollably after the pilots had declared an emergency. For a terrifying 30 minutes, the pilots fought to regain control of the plane, which climbed and fell again as they attempted to return to Tokyo. Meanwhile, passengers began to accept their fate and wrote final messages to their loved ones. But the out-of-control plane continued to descend and got closer to the mountains, where it crashed and exploded. It took rescue crews more than 15 hours to get to the crash site, where four survivors, all women, had managed to stay alive. Off-duty flight attendant Yumi Ochiai, mum Hiroko Yoshizaki, 34, with her eight-year-old daughter Mikiko, and Keiko Kawakai, 12, who lost her family in the crash. Keiko was shot out of the plane on impact and catapulted into a tree, where she was found with serious injuries. All four had sat in the rear of the aircraft. The women were seated in the final rows – from 54 to row 60. Yumi recalled the final moments in the plane before everything went silent: 'After the crash, I heard harsh panting and gasping noises from many people. I hear it coming from everywhere, all around me. There was a boy crying 'mother.' I clearly heard a young woman saying 'Come quickly!'.' The JAL123 disaster is known as Japan's aviation industry's equivalent of the sinking of the Titanic, Christopher Hood, a fellow at the University of Bath's Centre for Death and Society, said. Hood, who has written a book about the crash and spent a night at the crash site to get into the shoes of the survivors, said as many as 100 people might have survived the impact. 'If the rescue teams arrive sooner, there would have been more survivors. The survivors there knew it was getting quieter and quieter. Fifteen hours is a long time.' He said the lack of GPS at the time contributed to possible miscalculations as search aircraft relayed the location back to the control tower in degrees and miles, but 'the problem is the speed they are going at, making it it difficult to judge and there's a margin of error. With degrees, one degree makes a 1-2km difference already. 'And the defence force reported back in nautical miles, while Japan uses kilometres. It was the perfect storm and it was a mountainous area.' The Japanese society is less interested in the individual survivours than often is the case in the UK and US, Hood explained. Most of the media attention focused on the 12-year-old Keiko, who became a nurse and helped victims when an earthquake hit. Hood said the cause of the crash is still debated to this day. While the official cause is a faulty repair to the bulkhead, which led to the decompression explosion, an alternative theory is that air was leaking out slowly, which the tail was not designed to take, eventually causing it to break. A wilder theory, which has been debunked, is that the plane was hit by a missile, which then led to cover-up attempts. Hood said the same plane had been involved in an accident in 1978, claiming that the repairs were done 'incorrectly.' He told Metro the impact of the crash was 'huge' in 1985, and it has been etched in the society's consciousness. 'The list of passengers was read on TV, and this is how many people found out about their loved one,' Hood said. He said: 'It is the deadliest single plane crash, and it had an incredible number of people for a domestic flight. Imagine this happening on a flight from London to Edinburgh. 'The crash happened on August 12, which is like the day of the dead or Halloween, and it added symbolism. There were famous people on board, and so many people connect themselves to the crash with one or two steps.' More Trending The disaster struck just days after the 40th anniversary of the brutal atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which added to the collective pain. Hood said the next generations in Japan will learn about the disaster and interest will 'only grow rather than go away.' 'And families are keen for it to be reported. This crash has become the figurehead of all transport accidents.' Every year, people gather at the JAL123 at the Osutaka ridge in the Ueno village, with this year marking 40 years. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Virgin Atlantic relaunches flights to 'iconic' winter sun destination after 6 years MORE: 'Europe's Hawaii' that's often dubbed a 'Canaries alternative' is having a record-breaking year MORE: Emirates announces flight rule change that will affect every passenger from October 2025
