Burials at sea

[j.sabourn]

#39 Michael for some reason the name Hooper sounds familiar , were you offshore in later years in the UK ? Cheers JS

[John Gill]

during the late 1950`s we were coming home on the P & O R.M.S. Arcadiafrom Australia, on board were a Fijian Prince and his 3 wives, he was coming to England to meet up with the Queen, he got on in Sydney but between Fremantel and Bombay he became very ill and was put into the ships hospital where myself and another steward took 4 hour watch`s looking after him, wiping his body down with cool clothes, and feeding him through a pipe in his nose to his stomach, this carried on for a few days then one day i came off watch and within a few minute the other steward followed me down and said the old prince had died.
He was put in the cold rooms in the storage areas of the ship and off-loaded in Bombay and flown back to Fiji for a proper ceromony and burial. we were thanked by the wives and if ever in Fiji we should visit the palce, i believe that the whole story was in "The Illustrated London News." I didn`t go back to Fiji until 2000 and then only stayed for an hour whilst the aircraft was re-fueled
keith moody.
NZ Ruahine 1955-6
P&O Arcadia 1956-9
BTC Canterbury
BTC Maid of Orleans
BTC Hampton Ferry
Currie. MV England
Clyde ship. MV Goodwin
P&O Canberra 1961 maiden voyage

.
I did a trip on MV ENGLAND galley boy mid 50's. Loaded China clay for Italy. Messy stuff

[John Wallace]

I am trying to write a sea story and require the following information. Can anyone please tell me the procedure in the British Merchant Navy following the death of a crew memberat sea in say the 1950s, either through accident or natural causes?
I seem to recall reading that in sailing ship days the body would be sewn into a canvas shroud by either the sailmaker or perhaps the carpenter, with the final stitch being passed through the deceased's nose, although for what reason I'm not certain. The body was then weighted and laid on a plank and after a few words and a prayer by the ship's Master it was slid into the sea.
Never having sailed on a vessel when a death occurred I'd be interested to learn if a similar procedure prevailed in the 1950's, or if the body was somehow preserved on board until the next port of call when it could be buried ashore. It seems that during WWII the body would indeed be buried at sea after being sewn into a shroud that was weighted with fire bars, the Red Ensign adorning the shroud while the master or a senior officer pronounced the appropriate address; although I don't know if the stitch through the nose was still practised. I'd be extremely grateful for any information. Many thanks in advance.

Terry Smith

While on the MV Rangitoto 1963/4 I along with others assist the ship's medical staff by donating our blood, but due to the injuries to Patrolman Bolton who passed away, the brass hinges of the gate was all polished by Deckman and was yes Mr. Bolton raped in canvas placed on a plank and under a flag was slipped over the side at 7am all engines stopped, now the strange thing is in 1967 the wife and i came to New Zealand on the Rangitoto, sorry i did not have anything to do with the preparation of Mr. Bolton ,but was told it was done the traditional way, hope this will help you. John Wallace. ( I have a letter from the NZSco if you would like a copy.