# Burial at Sea.



## Mayday (May 26, 2009)

Thirty-eight years ago today, 28th January, 1980. 
On this day at 10:00 local time William "Billy" Wallace PON was buried at sea in the Eastern Mediterranean in position 35degrees 07 minutes North, 19degrees 28minutes East .
SS Jervis Bay GYSE, under the command of Captain John Blackburn, was stopped and the enshrouded body was let slip from beneath a Union Flag.
Billy Wallace suffered a tragic accident whilst the vessel was approaching Suez, he died the following day during transit of the Suez Canal.
These men with no gravestones to mark their passage, should be remembered.


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## trotterdotpom (Apr 29, 2005)

Sorry to hear of the loss of your shipmate, Mayday. I'm surprised to hear that he was buried at sea after an accident - I would have thought there would have been a post mortem.

John T


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## Frank P (Mar 13, 2005)

Sorry about the loss, but I would have thought that in the 1980's he would have been put in one of the freezers until you docked in a suitable port......

On the R V Star in 1975 we were leaving Acapulco and the bosun had an heart attack, we returned to the pier were a doctor arrived and confirmed the he was dead, he was then put in one of the freezers and he stayed onboard about two weeks until we arrived in Los Angeles and he was then flown home to Norway...


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## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

I have witnessed two. Both Indian crew members. One went into the freezer as he had no apparent signs of death but the other,a sailor, fell from the mast and it was obvious. He was a Hindu and as the Ghats were not available, the Serang and crew agreed that he be lowered on a hatch board to float away.
Trying to remember what Ellerman vessel it was....maybe the Lancaster in the '60's.


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## tiachapman (Mar 25, 2008)

once brought a c/ eng back from narvik he was in a steel box on the boat days for 4 days. by passed him every morning. as i done the soundings


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## Keith Adkins (Apr 21, 2006)

*Burial at Sea*

When I was on the Southern Cross in 59-60 there were an average of 2-3 deaths a trip(roughly 12 weeks), and when you consider that there were about 1,500 onboard I don't suppose thats strange. Normally, from what I can remember, the ship would "Stop Engines" for a while and the Old Man would do his business, and then it would be "Full Ahead" on the engines, t was usually on the 12-4 watch in the afternoon


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## saudisid (Mar 17, 2014)

Michael Taylor said:


> I have witnessed two. Both Indian crew members. One went into the freezer as he had no apparent signs of death but the other,a sailor, fell from the mast and it was obvious. He was a Hindu and as the Ghats were not available, the Serang and crew agreed that he be lowered on a hatch board to float away.
> Trying to remember what Ellerman vessel it was....maybe the Lancaster in the '60's.


Mike 
When I sailed with George Salter he told us of a guy falling from the Mast in the Heferford. He said it took a long time to go throught the checks for life


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## Michael Taylor (Aug 31, 2008)

Alan, maybe was the Hereford....I did sail on it about that time. The Captain wanted to sail back to SriLanka to burn him but it was agreed to send him away floating.


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

I've posted this before:
On the Nurtureton 1952 an AB, Jim (Bill?) Larsen became ill with what the captain diagnosed as a stomach ulcer. He was receiving info from ashore on what to do for the poor man, who was in excruciating pain, his screams being heard throughout the ship.
Three of us were designated to join a number of belts with which to lash him down and we held him while the captain plunged a huge hypodermic needle into his stomach (under instructions) and withdrew the poison.
Depositing it into a dish beside the bed, one of the men passed out and was quickly replaced. Larsen had by now also passed out which was a relief for him, as well as us.
The poor fellow died during the night, a few minutes after I had been relieved from watching over him.
We stitched him into canvass the next morning, laying him on a hatchboard. When the job was almost finished, I was given a longer needle and told that I had to put the final stitch through his nose, to ensure that he was really dead. (I didn't know it was bull**** at that time!).
An Ensign was placed over the canvass, held at each corner and Larsen was slid over the side from the wet board.
The mate gave us an almost half-full bottle of rum and my mates got a big bollocking for that last stitch joke on me!

Taff


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## Troppo (Feb 18, 2010)

The stitch thing isn't a joke...


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## tsell (Apr 29, 2008)

Troppo said:


> The stitch thing isn't a joke...


It was when I was at sea!

Taff


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## stevie burgess (Oct 9, 2008)

Mayday said:


> Thirty-eight years ago today, 28th January, 1980.
> On this day at 10:00 local time William "Billy" Wallace PON was buried at sea in the Eastern Mediterranean in position 35degrees 07 minutes North, 19degrees 28minutes East .
> SS Jervis Bay GYSE, under the command of Captain John Blackburn, was stopped and the enshrouded body was let slip from beneath a Union Flag.
> Billy Wallace suffered a tragic accident whilst the vessel was approaching Suez, he died the following day during transit of the Suez Canal.
> These men with no gravestones to mark their passage, should be remembered.


I never sailed with Billy Wallace but i sailed with one of his son's,was told he was a really nice guy. RIP Billy


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## Mayday (May 26, 2009)

stevie burgess said:


> I never sailed with Billy Wallace but i sailed with one of his son's,was told he was a really nice guy. RIP Billy


Yes, he was.


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