Nomadic is to be auctioned at a still undetermined date but if there is no bid, the unthinkable could happen and the historic vessel destroyed. The ship was built alongside Titanic by Harland & Wolff specifically to transport White Star Line passengers in Cherbourg to their waiting liners.

Delivered on 27 May 1911, she attended the departure of the liner Olympic for Liverpool four days later, the same day Titanic waslaunched. Almost a year later, on 10 April 1912, she serviced Titanic 's first stop on its first voyage after the crossing from Southampton.

Nomadic subsequently served as a troop carrier in WW1 and a coastal patrol ship/mine layer in WW2, after which it went on to service the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary before being rescued from the breaker the first time to become the Paris restaurant in 1974.

The current online petition ( www. petitiononline. com/ NOMADIC ) has been organised by the French Titanic Society (Association Francaise du Titanic ) and complements an effort by Belfast Industrial Heritage to raise funds for saving Nomadic . The latter organisation would seek to return the vessel to No 3 Slip in Belfast where Titanic was built. It would be put on the Historic Ship Register and become eligible for funding for restoration and maintenance from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The 67m LOA Nomadic wasplushly appointed when first built, with fine detail work throughout. It is said to be fundamentally sound today but in need of attention. The French Titanic Society believes it could be sold for as little as ? 200,000 and would require up to ? 7 million for a complete restoration. With vast sums being raised by Titanic memorabilia, books and films, it is inconceivable that the last physical link to the world's most famous ship could be sold for scrap.

MJ Information No: 20211