Col Gracie, who boarded the Titanic as one of approximately 2,200 passengers and crew members destined for New York, penned the letter from cabin C51 while the ship lay anchored in Queenstown, Ireland, on 11 April 1912. It was sent out with a London postmark dated 12 April, mere hours before the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, resulting in the loss of more than 1,500 lives from its ranks.

The auctioneer noted that this letter garnered the highest bid for any written correspondence from the Titanic, showcasing the significant interest in artifacts related to this historical maritime disaster. Col Gracie is well-known for his vivid recounting of the tragedy, chronicled in his book "The Truth About The Titanic," where he shared his harrowing experience escaping the sinking vessel by clinging to an overturned lifeboat in freezing waters. Many fellow survivors succumbed to the harsh conditions thereafter.

Despite surviving the catastrophe, Colonel Gracie's health deteriorated due to the severe effects of hypothermia, and he succumbed to complications from diabetes on 4 December 1912. His letter stands as a poignant reminder of the catastrophe that unfolded during the Titanic's maiden voyage, capturing a moment in time just before history was irrevocably altered.