Harold Lowe saved many lives on the night of the disaster

The menu belonged to north Wales officer Harold Lowe, who was widely regarded as one of the heroes of the disaster which claimed 1,500 lives when it sank on its maiden voyage after hitting an iceberg in the Atlantic.

Fifth Officer Lowe, from Eglwys Rhos, Conwy, was played by Ioan Gruffudd in the 1997 Oscar-winning film Titanic.

Lowe, who was 29 at the time of the sinking, was famed for his cool nerve when many around were gripped by panic.

He fired a revolver into the air to warn off stampeding male passengers as he tried to ensure women and children were put into lifeboats first.

Lowe then made a harrowing journey in a lifeboat to look for survivors in the icy waters among the bodies and wreckage. He we was one of only two of the ship's officers to survive the disaster.

It is believed the menu will sell for more than �40,000

The first-class menu had been sent to his future wife Ellen Whitehouse when the ship was docked in Ireland on its way to America.

On the bottom Lowe had scrawled: "This is the first meal ever served on board."

The menu - dated 2 April, 1912 - offered a choice of consomm� mirrette, sweetbreads, spring lamb and braised ham.

The menu will be auctioned on behalf of the officer's family in Southampton next April.

Auctioneer Alan Aldridge believes it will sell for more than the �37,000 record price for Titanic artefacts paid for a photo album of the ship earlier this year.

"Lowe was the real hero of the disaster and a very brave man who I've always admired and he's held in such high regard by Titanic buffs," he said.

Commander

A famous American industrialist, whom he could not name, is a serious Titanic collector and was "ready to bring in his big guns" to buy the menu.

A year after the disaster in 1913, Lowe, who was born in Barmouth, married Ellen and they had two children Florence and Harold.

During the World War 1 he was a commander in the Royal Naval Reserve.

He died in 1944 and was buried in Llandrillo yn Rhos in Conwy.