# Buried at sea.



## jeffs

I note in Engine Room segment that burying at sea was briefly mentioned and how it was rare in the 1960s. However, in 1967 (or 8) on City of Brisbane, half an hour out of Curacao, our Chippy died on deck. We turned back to port for official verification etc. then held the body in the Fridge room ( I was Fridge Eng.) then buried him in the Carribean 12 hours out of port. Would this have been one of the last sea burials on British MN Ships ?

Regards Jeff Smith


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## Donnie More

i was on City of Guildford , UK to Karachi ,1979 , one Bombay sailor aged 46, found brown bread on focsle deck at 6am one morning , whilst ship in gulf of Aden,
he was buried at sea at 1600 that same afternoon according to hindu custom with full agreement from all bombay crew , from a hatch board lowered from deck rail , cause of death was put down to heart failure , which covered everything and satisfied all on arrival karachi and bombay .


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## Quiney

In 1976 our chief engineer died whilst at sea. he was held in the fridges and landed at Japan.

However, in 1979 we had a rescued Vietnamese boat refugee die, and we did bury her at sea.


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## John Dryden

Not only at sea,how many met there maker in port?In my short time I remember two,one in Beira and another in Sydney.RIP all of 'em.


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## chris8527

jeffs said:


> I note in Engine Room segment that burying at sea was briefly mentioned and how it was rare in the 1960s. However, in 1967 (or 8) on City of Brisbane, half an hour out of Curacao, our Chippy died on deck. We turned back to port for official verification etc. then held the body in the Fridge room ( I was Fridge Eng.) then buried him in the Carribean 12 hours out of port. Would this have been one of the last sea burials on British MN Ships ?
> 
> Regards Jeff Smith


I attended at least a half-dozen burials at sea during my time with P&O (1966-1968.) Each death was registered with the British Consul at the next port of call.


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## RayL

<<i was on City of Guildford , UK to Karachi ,1979 , one Bombay sailor aged 46, found brown bread on focsle deck at 6am one morning , whilst ship in gulf of Aden,
he was buried at sea at 1600 that same afternoon according to hindu custom with full agreement from all bombay crew , from a hatch board lowered from deck rail , cause of death was put down to heart failure , which covered everything and satisfied all on arrival karachi and bombay .>>

This closely matches an experience I had on the Naess Sovereign in Feb 1966 as the ship voyaged from Marsa el Brega to Milford Haven, I think. We had Goanese crew, and one of them died. A day or two later the ship hove to for an hour or so off Tunisia whilst the burial at sea took place. It came as a surprise to me to see the method used, for I had seen so many films in which the body slid dramatically into the water from underneath a flag.

There was free speculation circulating amongst us as to the possible cause of the death - one theory I heard being that the man had eaten too much strong curry. It now strikes me as odd that no kind of official autopsy was insisted upon in such cir***stances; although this would have needed the body to be kept in cold storage, of course.


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## binliner

the benmacdhui in the late 60s had a voyage which was reported in a newspaper in middlesborough or south shields.At the start of the voyage an old AB died and was buried at sea and near the middle of the voyage the laundryman died and a few days later the "peggy" died(only 16yrs) buried in a graveyard in labuan.Quite glad to get off her.


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## jeffs

Thanks for all responses. The First Mate and I (I was the fridgie) carried the poor Chippie from the forcastle to the fridge room after he died. I was 24 at the time and death was something that I had nt confronted. It made a lasting impression on me.
All the best for coming year.

jeffs


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## Keith Adkins

I remember when on the Southern Cross 59/60, we would average 4 deaths per voyage, and they were all buried at sea. I did hear that it was common practice for their local GP's to say that a sea voyage would do them the power of good!
Keith Adkins


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## Pat Kennedy

I remember a thread on here a couple of years ago, where burial at sea was mentioned, but one of the Senior Members at the time, a mortuary attendant from the Isle of Wight who had been a nurse with P&O, was adamant that this was totally illegal, and never allowed on British ships, because of the need in every case, for a post mortem.(Pompeyfan)
The above postings cast doubt on this.
Pat(Smoke)


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## Jim S

Certainly on Elders & Fyffes two passenger ships Golfito and Camito burials at sea were fairly common. Both ships carried a doctor so cause of death could be medically established. (well sort of).
The burial was always done with great respect and was possibly a better send off than one would have got onshore, and a lot cheaper! As passengers embarked at Southampton it was a macabre sport to spot the potential "Stop at Sea."


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## Alex Salmond

When I was on the Act 7 in 1980 we had a wee scouse AB who was always on the [email protected]#s had a few loggings before we even reached the coast ,anyway we had been in Auckland a few days and were getting ready to sail but no one could find this guy ,Danny his name was ,the mate asked around and someone said they saw him going down the gangway a few hours earlier drunk (this was at 10 in the morning) so we sailed for Wellington and we all assumed he had just gone adrift to the pubs ,a week later the Skipper got a call from the police that a body had been found under the wharf , and could we send someone to identify the body as they believed it was him,no way were any of us going especially as the body had been in the water a week!so they sent the poor old deck cadet who was still looking green when he came back a few days later and yes it was our missing AB .The police report said he had probably fallen off the wharf , cracked his head on the way down and drowned.It was all a bit strange though as this was in broad daylight on a working day,however the story is just a long winded way of saying when the body was released we later found that it was taken on the Southland Star and buried at sea.A strange postscript to this story is that a couple of years back on Frasers Bluestarline.org website there was an enquiry from someone ,apparently his daughter ,asking what had happened as it was still a mystery to the family ,I exchanged emails but never heard back from them ,the burial at sea was confirmed by Captain Tony Cheshire who was skipper on the Southland Star and performed the ceremony,he had also tried to contact the daughter but with no luck.A strange wee story eh!


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## Paul Barford

On my first deep sea trip on the S.S. Bennevis in October/November 1972 , outward bound to the Far East via Panama, we buried a Chinese A.B. at sea in the Caribbean. He had been working greasing wires on a derrick and fell off on to a winch. He was kept in the fridge rooms until his family gave consent to burial at sea, checking the fridge temperatures every watch was a frightening experience for a young junior engineer! We stopped and slipped him overboard then had a good wake in the passengers lounge. This was the first and last time I ever wore my "steaming bonnet" (cap)...and still remember it all very well.


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## Cutsplice

Pat Kennedy said:


> I remember a thread on here a couple of years ago, where burial at sea was mentioned, but one of the Senior Members at the time, a mortuary attendant from the Isle of Wight who had been a nurse with P&O, was adamant that this was totally illegal, and never allowed on British ships, because of the need in every case, for a post mortem.(Pompeyfan)
> The above postings cast doubt on this.
> Pat(Smoke)


Pat. I cannot say what the formalities are at the present day for a death and burial at sea is. I have myself had to do a sea burial all quite legal providing foul play was not suspected and the next of kin were informed of the death and they agreed with his/her burial at sea. Obviously the RBD 1/72 has to be completed, this form covers :Births and Deaths occuring on board:.
On another occassion I had to hold a body on board as he been murdered by another crew man by stabbing, both were landed in the Canary Islands with the Spanish police and a contingent of police from Scotland Yard in attendence. The assailant was tried in the UK his sentence was 6yrs, I heard some years later he was again tried for murder but this one was shoreside, not sure of the facts on the second one.
These two experiences were by far the worst expeiences I had when seagoing.


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## Pat Kennedy

Cutsplice said:


> Pat. I cannot say what the formalities are at the present day for a death and burial at sea is. I have myself had to do a sea burial all quite legal providing foul play was not suspected and the next of kin were informed of the death and they agreed with his/her burial at sea. Obviously the RBD 1/72 has to be completed, this form covers :Births and Deaths occuring on board:.
> On another occassion I had to hold a body on board as he been murdered by another crew man by stabbing, both were landed in the Canary Islands with the Spanish police and a contingent of police from Scotland Yard in attendence. The assailant was tried in the UK his sentence was 6yrs, I heard some years later he was again tried for murder but this one was shoreside, not sure of the facts on the second one.
> These two experiences were by far the worst expeiences I had when seagoing.


Cutsplice, 
Maybe you remember the thread in question a couple of years back, but I related a tale told to me by the Leading seaman on the Empress of Britain, about an incident on an earlier trip, when an elderly female passenger had died, and was buried at sea. The coffin, was apparently weighted with stove bars, and had holes drilled in it so that it would sink, but it didnt, and the lid came off, and the old dear, released from her box, floated away aft!
Pompeyfan was having none of it, and shot me down in flames.
Best Regards, 
Pat
(EEK)


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## MARINEJOCKY

I wonder if David looks in here every now and then ? I used to swop some PM's with him but I guess his promotion to the Cruise ships stopped him talking to us minions. I do hope he is keeping well, anybody have any news of him.


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## Cutsplice

Pat, I do remember the thread quite well, when Pompeyfan posted that he was skilled enough to carry out a Prostatectomy on a male without killing him with a loss of blood and sparing erectile nerves etc etc. I then thought let him rant, but give him a wide berth, just as one would do to a vessel N.U.C. 
I do hope he is fine in regards to his physical health.

PS there is a section in the Ships Captains Medical Book, with details how a burial at sea should be adhered with prayers etc.


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## makko

The Ship Captains Medical Book is a great read! The section on certifying and recording death at sea and the rites to follow regarding burial at sea is very interesting indeed. 
We had an old Sierra Leonian who had terminal clap or something and popped his clogs. We were a couple of days out of Hong Kong and so it was decided to wrap him and store him in an empty 55 gallon drum in the meat fridge. Unfortunately, at Hong Kong, the oil drum was hoisted off to the quayside at Tsimsatsui in anticipation of the arrival of Consular staff who we understood would take care of the body. This unfortunately created all sorts of trouble and the HK police attended and cordoned off the oil drum, treating the thing as some sort of crime scene! The poor bugger was left in the sun all day with containers going every which way. We wondered how long it was until someone ran over the oil drum. He was finally carted off in the evening for cremation and repatriation of his ashes, the Old Man and Chief accompanied him ashore. After everything had finally been sorted, the OM and Chief came back on board quite late at night - The first thing the OM said upon arrival in the bar was that next time he would bury the body at sea!
Rgds.
Dave


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## Dickyboy

When I was a JOS I assisted in the sewing up and burial at sea of two passengers who died. Both on the Reina Del Mar. I volunteered to help out as I was an inquisitive sod in those days. Besides it was always possible to screw a few tots out of the Hospital Orderley as well as the "Official" one issued by the Bosun.


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## Brandane62

In January 1981 I was on P&Os Ardmore when the Captain died in his sleep. We were off the north west coast of Mexico at the time. The Chief Mate took command, and we headed for San Diego USA. The Captains wife and son were flown out from the UK and we sailed a few miles offshore for the burial at sea. I remember it well; as a Deck Cadet I was one of the bodies who had to lift one end of the "slide" which had been set up to get him over the railings and into the sea.


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## uisdean mor

In the best possible taste folks and in no way demeaning the sad occasions when shipmates have had to be buried at sea. 
Bay of Bengal for extended jute and hessian season. First ports were to be east coast USA. Lots of livestock on deck ranging from goats for bhandarri curries, geese, ducks, hens, a mongoose who took a lump out of the chief's big toe one day and a couple of canaries which the chief stewrad ( Pete Deery R.I.P.) had trained to perch on his epaulettes. The canaries were called Nelson & Hardy and Pete had trained them so well that they both perched on the one epaulette when he was playing darts. Anyone who knew Pete will see the humour in this as Pete himself only had one eye. Anyway -while on yankee coast Hardy died - nothing for it but burial at sea followed by severaleen Tennents from the fridge. Next port huge outcry from customs as we did not have a corpse to identify - I kid you not - and they were pretty serious about charging Pete with selling the bird to some shoreside wallah. Needless to say the stress of the customs interogation necessitated a further liberation of Tennents from the interior of various cans.


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## Dickyboy

Not often that death at sea has a funny side


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## barrinoz

Just the thread for my current investigations! If someone dies at sea, from any cause, whether in war or peace, accidentally or deliberately: how are the deaths registered? Is a certficate of death issued from the country of citizenship or is some other procedure followed? I think some rellies may have lost their lives at sea but I can't find records of death and don't know where to start.
barrinoz.


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## trotterdotpom

Dickyboy said:


> When I was a JOS I assisted in the sewing up and burial at sea of two passengers who died. Both on the Reina Del Mar. I volunteered to help out as I was an inquisitive sod in those days. Besides it was always possible to screw a few tots out of the Hospital Orderley as well as the "Official" one issued by the Bosun.


Did you put the last stitch through the nose, or is thT a myth?

John T


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## Duncan112

makko said:


> The Ship Captains Medical Book is a great read! The section on certifying and recording death at sea and the rites to follow regarding burial at sea is very interesting indeed.
> 
> Rgds.
> Dave


Available to download for FREE here

http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga-seaf.../mcga-dqs_st_shs_ships_capt_medical_guide.htm

Enjoy!!

Duncan


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## Pat Kennedy

Dickyboy said:


> Not often that death at sea has a funny side


 
Its not Dicky Boy, and this is the other side of the coin.
We had a little monkey on the Ascanius, loved by everyone in the sailor's alleyway, he used to pillage boxes of matches and eat all the tips, and he was also partial to Rizla ciggy papers. Anyway, his practice was whenever we went on stations for entering or leaving port, he would make his way to the foremast and climb right up to the top, and there he would survey the channel ahead.
However, one time, leaving Copenhagen one freezing afternoon, Joey, for that was his name, was making his way down the forestay, slipped and lost his grip and came tumbling down, bounced on the focsle head and went over the side.
The poor little devil was like a drowning child gazing up at us, arms aloft until he was carried away aft and lost to view.
I think everyone on the focsle head was in tears, even the Chief Mate. 
One of the saddest things I ever saw.
Pat(Sad)


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## makko

Duncan112 said:


> Available to download for FREE here
> 
> http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/mcga-seaf.../mcga-dqs_st_shs_ships_capt_medical_guide.htm
> 
> Enjoy!!
> 
> Duncan


Thanks for that, Duncan!
Rgds.
Dave


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## the brit

I remember being on R.F.A. OLNA in 1986, we were alongside in Newark New Jersey, and the signalman went ashore into NYC and was murdered, the other signalman identified the body along with the captain I'm sure, we buried him at sea from our ship and the burial service was performed by the chaplain from HMS Ark Royal, i remember going into the fridges everyday and moving the wreaths around just to get to the fridge doors to open to get everything we needed, the body was not in the freezer no, we just had all the flowers and wreaths for a couple of days until we met up with HMS Ark Royal who then brought the body over by vertrep i think for the actual burial at sea, quite a sombre occasion, and a very nice guy was Jeff Gill the signalman who died.


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## backsplice

1971 I was EDH on the BENSTAC we were homeward bound mid Indian Ocean our bosun had a heart attack and died late evening he was buried next after noon I think the family were contacted and requested it he had been with the BENLINE for many years .Being part of the party that carried him to aft deck level for preperation and then the burial which was extremely touching then with all hands present on deck we hove to and the service was conducted with dignity and grace I will never ever forget it


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## barrinoz

That's very interesting Duncan but it still doesn't mention about death certification. I'm specifically talking about multiple deaths such as vessel sinking or the like. Any clues, anyone?
barrinoz.


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## trotterdotpom

the brit said:


> I remember being on R.F.A. OLNA in 1986, we were alongside in Newark New Jersey, and the signalman went ashore into NYC and was murdered, the other signalman identified the body along with the captain I'm sure, we buried him at sea from our ship and the burial service was performed by the chaplain from HMS Ark Royal, i remember going into the fridges everyday and moving the wreaths around just to get to the fridge doors to open to get everything we needed, the body was not in the freezer no, we just had all the flowers and wreaths for a couple of days until we met up with HMS Ark Royal who then brought the body over by vertrep i think for the actual burial at sea, quite a sombre occasion, and a very nice guy was Jeff Gill the signalman who died.


I'm surprised they didn't send him home. I'm sure I heard that a couple of people who died with LOF were sent home for burial. I could be imagining that of course.

John T


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## Hawkeye

The Americans had a highly publisized burial at sea only last year from one of their Carriers.


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## the brit

trotterdotpom said:


> I'm surprised they didn't send him home. I'm sure I heard that a couple of people who died with LOF were sent home for burial. I could be imagining that of course.
> 
> John T


if my memory serves me well, i think this was the wish of his wife that he be buried at sea, but also from all accounts there was not much left of the poor guy has he had been thrown from a moving vehicle at high speed the other signalman who identified the body could only do so by the Liverpool F.C tattoos on his arm, apparently.


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## KIWI

Reference #10.Would confirm that I personally attended several funerals at sea when on both Maloja & Stratheden.The rites were held early morning & we were asked to volunteer our attendance. I guess to give some formality to the occasion when possibly no close family was aboard. KIWI


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## trotterdotpom

the brit said:


> if my memory serves me well, i think this was the wish of his wife that he be buried at sea, but also from all accounts there was not much left of the poor guy has he had been thrown from a moving vehicle at high speed the other signalman who identified the body could only do so by the Liverpool F.C tattoos on his arm, apparently.


Thanks Brit, sounds like a nightmare. Wonder what he did to deserve that. Not much probably.

Rgds, John T


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## Vital Sparks

After the body of a steward who had committed suicide was recovered from the sea, the master reqested permission to bury the body at sea but this was denied by his family. The body was placed in the meat room for week and eventually landed at Las Palmas. The post mortem was delayed for three days while they waited for it to thaw out.


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## Hank

barrinoz said:


> That's very interesting Duncan but it still doesn't mention about death certification. I'm specifically talking about multiple deaths such as vessel sinking or the like. Any clues, anyone?
> barrinoz.


I had some experience when working with a cousin to try to find a death certificate for his father. He died, along with his brother and son, when his ship went down in Liverpool Bay in 1948. Being an ex-mariner I tried to find out what should have happened. In the case of an ordinary death at sea the master made an entry in the official log book and a copy of this was sent to the Registrar of Shipping. No death certificate was issued. If anyone wanted a death certificate they had to apply to the Registrar. However, clearly, when a ship went down the official log book went with her, and in that case the onus was on the owners to send a copy of the crew list to the Registrar. The names should then have been entered in the Deaths at Sea register. However, as in so many cases of marine do***entation this did not always happen and the names disappeared into the void. That's what happened in the case of my uncles and cousin. We have never been able to find an official record of their deaths. This is a problem with many seaman's records. For example the Captain's Register only includes the names of ships which the owners bothered to report to Lloyds. In my own family I have lots of records where I know that someone was Captain of a ship (usually from a crew agreement) but it doesn't show up in the register. And we have never had any success finding anyone in the Deaths at Sea register!
Cheers, John


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## Irwing

barrinoz said:


> Just the thread for my current investigations! If someone dies at sea, from any cause, whether in war or peace, accidentally or deliberately: how are the deaths registered? Is a certficate of death issued from the country of citizenship or is some other procedure followed? I think some rellies may have lost their lives at sea but I can't find records of death and don't know where to start.
> barrinoz.


I researched the death of my great-grandmother's first husband; I had no idea where/how he died (this was 1905). There is a Marine Deaths Index (this can be viewed on Find My Past); apparently the details can vary (in those days at least) as the captain completes the form. My 'ancestor' died in an accident onboard the vessel when she was in port (Dunkirk); this still qualified as a UK marine death and was not registered locally.

Sharon


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## kauvaka

Not a burial at sea but ashore. On the Oronsay in October 1962 on a run ashore in Suva, Fiji one of the crew stabbed another who died. The stabber was charged, held in Suva for several weeks and was eventually acquitted. Meanwhile the victim, Sandy Cameron was buried in Suva Cemetery and a headstone donated by the crowd was erected. Several years later I did visit the cemetery but could not locate the grave, maybe Sandy was dis-interred and his remains taken home to Scotland.


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## Dickyboy

trotterdotpom said:


> Did you put the last stitch through the nose, or is thT a myth?
> 
> John T


No, we definitely didn't. It might have been done in Nelsons Navy perhaps, but we could be certain that the person was dead. There was a doctor on board.
I was never quite sure how one would find the nose under all that heavy canvas anyway.


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## Dickyboy

Pat Kennedy said:


> Its not Dicky Boy, and this is the other side of the coin.
> We had a little monkey on the Ascanius, loved by everyone in the sailor's alleyway, he used to pillage boxes of matches and eat all the tips, and he was also partial to Rizla ciggy papers. Anyway, his practice was whenever we went on stations for entering or leaving port, he would make his way to the foremast and climb right up to the top, and there he would survey the channel ahead.
> However, one time, leaving Copenhagen one freezing afternoon, Joey, for that was his name, was making his way down the forestay, slipped and lost his grip and came tumbling down, bounced on the focsle head and went over the side.
> The poor little devil was like a drowning child gazing up at us, arms aloft until he was carried away aft and lost to view.
> I think everyone on the focsle head was in tears, even the Chief Mate.
> One of the saddest things I ever saw.
> Pat(Sad)


I agree, that isn't funny at all.


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## barrinoz

Thanks, Hank and Sharon. It's a bit of a minefield alright.
barrinoz.


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## Aberdonian

*Lost at Sea*



barrinoz said:


> That's very interesting Duncan but it still doesn't mention about death certification. I'm specifically talking about multiple deaths such as vessel sinking or the like. Any clues, anyone?
> barrinoz.


Further to the posts by Hank (#37) and Sharon (#38), here are examples of Scottish Statutory Register death certificates issued when a fishing boat crewed by kin of mine foundered in the North Sea:
All four members of the crew of the fishing vessel “Daisy” (BF1067) were lost at sea when she foundered in a storm on 22 Dec 1894 in a position four miles off Portsoy. These four were brothers, the sons of John Innes and Jane Smith, and all resident in Sandend, Banffshire. 
I could give other examples but these are the most interesting. The body of Joseph Innes was found washed ashore so his death was recorded differently.
A Procurator Fiscal is a public prosecutor in Scotland. In the case of these deaths, his role is similar to that of a coroner in England.

There are many online references to the great storm of 1894 which caused much loss of life in European waters.

Keith Innes


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## jim garnett

I was somewhat appalled at the instances in previous threads which related to bodies being kept in the meat fridge.We had a chief die at sea and contcted medical authority by cable.Their reply was that it was OK as long as there was no meat or food in the fridge.Fortunately we had an empty fridge so we were able to keep the body until we reahed Lisbon.This was in 1953,I'm sure such restrictions would still apply today.
JIM GARNETT


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## uisdean mor

One instance of stowage of the corpse in the brine room. Ships electrician. Rgds 
Uisdean


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## Cisco

uisdean mor said:


> One instance of stowage of the corpse in the brine room. Ships electrician. Rgds
> Uisdean


and another of utilising a barrel of rum..................


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## Aberdonian

An uncle of mine died suddenly in 1947 aboard the trawler “Viking Pioneer” whilst fishing off Iceland. His widow insisted that his body be returned home for burial so it was put ashore at Reykjavik and placed inside a steel coffin prior to being put on board the Aberdeen bound trawler “Mount Keen”. It was not possible to stow the coffin in the ice room so it was lashed across the horizontal struts of a gallus well clear of the deck.

The family suspected that the 41 year old had died due to earlier head wounds received from shrapnel during a wartime air attack on his naval vessel. I had hoped to establish cause of death from a statutory death certificate, drawn up from do***ents accompanying the body, but a search found no such record.

Aberdonian


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## New Haven Neil

We had the electrician die on the Devonshire, on the way up to Suez - A great guy, don't want to mention the name out of respect. Many of the old hand Bibby's guys will remember him, a Shetlander I think, and RNLI volunteer when on leave. He had a brain haemmorage IIRC, and was unconcious for some time.

It was the day of Charles & Diana's wedding, so it sticks in the mind. I'm sure we kept him in the fridge (but I don't recall if there was anything else in there) until we got to Alex, I helped carry him ashore. He had been declared dead by then, by the doctor from the frigate that was to escort the Brittania, they came to assist at a speed that was something to see. We pulled out all the stops and then some to meet with them....it's probably safe to mention now that it cost two RND90 liners a week afterwards. I got made redundant at that point, what an awful week that was, losing a great bloke and my livelyhood at the same time. RIP, 'KS'.


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## alan ward

I was a first trip Cadet Purser on ED`s Accra when reporting to the bureau one morning I was told to go to the Doctor and get the deceaseds Passport.I made my way aft to the hospital and find no doctor in his office I climbed the ladder into the two berth hospital and found a sheeted corpse placed on a stretcher across the two beds.His ankles projected beyond the wrappings and I can still see the pale soles of his feet vibrating with the vibrations of the engine.He was buried later that same day off the West Coast somewhere,with us all in No10`s.


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## Split

jim garnett said:


> I was somewhat appalled at the instances in previous threads which related to bodies being kept in the meat fridge.We had a chief die at sea and contcted medical authority by cable.Their reply was that it was OK as long as there was no meat or food in the fridge.Fortunately we had an empty fridge so we were able to keep the body until we reahed Lisbon.This was in 1953,I'm sure such restrictions would still apply today.
> JIM GARNETT


It's all meat. I can't see what the problem is, unless there is a mix up.


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## septiclecky

Split said:


> It's all meat. I can't see what the problem is, unless there is a mix up.


Well we are supposed to taste like pork I believe when cooked.(EEK)


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## Split

septiclecky said:


> Well we are supposed to taste like pork I believe when cooked.(EEK)


The moral of that is "Don't eat pork if there is a human body in the fridge".


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## John Rogers

I see that we have two threads going on this subject.
Burial at Sea, and Buried at sea, maybe we should combine the two.


John.


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## rodfair

One of the jobs I had as an Engineer Cadet was to prepare the body of a passenger for burial. Not pleasant.
When I was replacement fridge Engineer, same ship, got called to the hospital. The had a 3 seater fridge in the hospital. Was told it was getting too cold.
Opened the door to find the body still in there....uh no thanks I told the attendant..get it out and call me. 30 mins later I got the call, went to the hospital, there was the body propped up in the corner covered by sheets! Thermostat quickly reset and I got out!


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## kevjacko

The only death I ever experienced at sea was one of the ships budgies on the Br Dragoon in 1981/2. The poor bird also had to be wrapped, frozen and produced to customs at our next port of call which was in the UK.


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## barry john macauley

Jim S said:


> Certainly on Elders & Fyffes two passenger ships Golfito and Camito burials at sea were fairly common. Both ships carried a doctor so cause of death could be medically established. (well sort of).
> The burial was always done with great respect and was possibly a better send off than one would have got onshore, and a lot cheaper! As passengers embarked at Southampton it was a macabre sport to spot the potential "Stop at Sea."


Must agree with the tastefulness of the ceremony;on the Akaroa we had two burials on her first trip with Shaw Savill, and I was very impressed with the respect shown by the considerable number of crew who (voluntarily) attended.


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## kypros

WHILE homeward bound on the HUBERT a Booths passenger cargo ship in 1964 a bedroom steward had a cerebal haemoriage or so the ships doctor said and passed away.He was committed to the sea off Trinidad he had been at sea all his life surviving the the war although he lost a kneecap which left him with a permanent stiff leg so the company let him stay at sea in the catering i believe he had been a bosun during the war.He was committed with due respect and dignity ship stopped burial party in navy whites and flags at half mast although i recall many of the passengers with cine cameras which I found a bit distasteful I am not sure if his next of gave permission or not but my understanding was if any crew members died at sea you would be buried at sea. Reguards Kypros


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## tom roberts

On the liners I sailed on if a passenger died in their cabin it was the 12to4 watch that moved the body down to the cold flats.As the lifts were to narrow to carry the body lengthwise we would stand them up in a wraparound stretcher we kept a lookout in case any passengers were about..When on the Mauritania cruises I believe if the spouse of a deceased wished a burial at sea there wishes were done,if they wished other wise it was said they were then charged frieght ,on the body ,this I am sure was not the ,but the deepsix ceromony was photographed by the ships photographer for sale.


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## stein

Ghoulish?: In the British navy the dead were once sewn up in their canvas hammock, with the last stitch going through the nose. Most claim it was to assure he was dead, but some say that to the men, it was more than a medical proof of death. The last stitch sewed the soul of a man to his hammock, so that he should not return and walk among the living.

Btw, a story I heard at sea was that one fellow that entered into his overtime book: "washing and dumping of corpse" was barred from further service in th Norwegian MN. I heard it several times, so it probably was a myth.


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## oldman 80

trotterdotpom said:


> Did you put the last stitch through the nose, or is thT a myth?
> 
> John T


With respect to Class 1 vessels - Probably Not - they had doctors on board who could certify death.

However in Cargo Ships, (No Doctor on board) ie Class 2 vessels - Yes - the last stitch went through the nose.


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## Dickyboy

I was on a BP tanker when a GP1 was killed in the engine room. As far as I recall the option of burial at was not available. The family had the choice of either having his body flown home or buried ashore. He was buried in Lobito.


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## GeeM

When I was sailing with Safmarine on the second Astor we had a passenger pass away between Cape Town and Suez. There were no shortage of retired doctors to sign the death cert and his wife wanted him buried at sea. Well after a lot of back and forth with Safmarine they gave permission. The whole thing was kept very quiet from the pax, or so we thought. 

The next day we stopped at dawn and opened the forward shell door to perform the service. I looked up towards the Prom Deck and what must have been the entire passenger complement looked back down at me.


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## tom roberts

On holiday in New Zealand we stayed with a lady who had lost her husband who had been a keen diver and a freefall parachutist.He was buried at sea just of the coast near Auckland.His body was dropped from a helicopter in an area designated for sea burials,I have never heard of such areas as these,do any of our bretheren in N.Z.know of this place?


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## engineer64

In 1953 en-passage to Singapore in HMS Tyne, my mate complained of severe stomache pains about 2100. He reported to the sick bay, the ships Doctor operated on him 3 hrs later, he was suffering from appendicitis. My mate died shortly afterwards. We were in the Indian Ocean. At 1600 the naxt day he was buried at sea, six of us carried his body sewn into his hammock & weighted with a shell. He was placed on a supported plank covered with a white ensign. After the Captain had completed the burial service we lifted the inboard end of the plank, holding onto the ensign & the body slid off the plank into the sea. The Doctor said the patient was debilitated because of the heat etc. & was not strong enough to recover.


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