'Good voyage up to now': One of only two second-class menus to survive Titanic to sell for £80,000

A rare menu from the Titanic that doubled as a postcard and on which a crew member wrote 'good voyage up to now' is tipped to sell for £80,000, the Daily Mail reports.

The menu was for breakfast in the second class restaurant on the ill-fated liner on Thursday April 11, 1912.

It is estimated there are about 20 Titanic menus in existence but most of those relate to the first class restaurant for April 14 - the day the ship hit an iceberg.

That is because more first class passengers survived the sinking and some happened to have the menus in their handbags or jacket pockets when they entered the lifeboats.

A massive 93 per cent of male second class passengers perished in the tragedy, more than in third class.

As a result there are just two second class menus in existence today.

One of them, sent by second class saloon steward Jacob Gibbons, is being sold later this month by Henry Aldridge and Son auctioneers of Devizes, Wiltshire.

The menu for breakfast included treats like Yarmouth bloaters (herring), grilled ox kidneys and bacon, grilled sausage and mashed potatoes, grilled ham and fried eggs, soda scones, buckwheat cakes and maple syrup.

On the reverse of the menu card there is a standard postcard layout under the heading 'White Star Line - The Largest Steamers in the World.'

Gibbons sent his brief note to his girlfriend, a Miss L Payne, who was living in Studland Bay in Dorset.

He was able to post it after the ship stopped at Queenstown in Ireland on April 11, the last port of call before Titanic crossed the Atlantic on its doomed maiden voyage.

Auctioneer Andrew Aldridge said: 'Second class menus from Titanic are incredibly rare, just a handful exist and there are just two for April 11.

'The rarity reflects the dreadful survival rate for male second class passengers which was just seven per cent.

'Unlike the first class menus, the second class ones also served as a free postcard for the passengers.

'This one was filled in and sent by Jacob Gibbons who posted it at Queenstown which is obviously how and why it made it off the ship.

'Gibbons also survived the disaster and was rescued in lifeboat 11. As well as two crew members, a steward was also required for the lifeboats to assist the passengers.

'The menu card offers a fascinating snapshot into the variety of food on offer in second class.

'It is often said that the food in second class on Titanic was on a par with the first class restaurants of most other liners.

'Considering its age and rarity, the menu card is in almost immaculate condition, there is some tiny discolouration to it.'

Last year, Henry Aldridge and Son sold a more common menu from the first class restaurant for the day Titanic hit and iceberg and sank for a record £76,000.

The second class menu is expected to exceed that amount due to its rarity and message on the reverse.

The auction takes place on April 26.