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BURIAL AT SEA

ADMIRAL SIR W. FISHER Portsmouth Dockyard was hushed on Juno .29, and this was a port of mourning when, with impressive ceremonial, 'Admiral Sir William W. Fisher, late Comimander-in-Ghief, was buried at sea off Spithead, says the 1 Daily 'Telegraph.’ In H.M.S. Victory, where the admiral’s body had rested in Nelson’s dining cabin since it was brought from London, there flew at half-mast his silk flag presented when he was Comman-der-in-Ghief, Mediterranean Fleet. Warships in harbour had their flags at half-mast. Borne by 10 "chief petty-officers, the coffin, on which rested the admiral’s cocked hat and medals, was piped over the side and placed on a gun-carriage provided by H.M.S. Excellent. The pall-bearers, who walked on either, side of the gun-carriage, were: The Admiral Superintendent of the Dockyard, Rear-Admiral R. Ross Turner; the Chief of Staff of the late Com-inander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral S. St. L. Moore; Air Chief Marshal Sir John Steel, representing' the Air Council; Admirals Sir Charles Forbes, Sir Eric Fullerton, Sir Martin Dunbar-Nasmith. V.C., and Sir Frank Larken; General Sir John Burnett-Stuart, Admirals Sir Howard Kelly- Sir .Fredric Dreyer, and Sir William Goodenough, and Admiral of the Fleet Lord Chatfield, First Sea Lord. There was a . firing party ■SO ( strong from the Excellent. The escort included representatives from every ship in port. Behind the gun-carriage the late admiral’s secretary. Pay Captain B. F. Hood, and his Flag Lieutenant, Lieu-tenant-commander H. C. Maclean, walked, carrying on silk cushions the insignia and regalia of orders with which Sir William Fisher had been honoured by the King. The long ranks of flag and senior officers of the three services, including most of the members of Sir William’s staff, were headed by Admiral the Earl of Cork and Orrery, representing the King as his first and principal naval aide-de-camp. The coffin was home over a crepccovered gangway into the cruiser Curacoa, .waiting at the south railway jetty. Six destroyers of the port—Verity, Winchester, Sardonyx, Winchelsea, Crusader, and Wolfhound—went out of harbour to act as escort, and piped a salute as they passed the jetty. At 11,30 the Curacoa left, and a salute of 17 guns was fired by the naval and military batteries. The body was committed to the deep near Nab Tower lighthouse, the committal service being conducted by the Archdeacon of the Fleet,. Ven. A. D. Gilbertson, and the Rev. G. W. Page. R.N. barracks. A further salute of 17 guns was fired by the Curacoa. Admiral of the Fleet Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt was among the officers of the Curacoa. A large number of floral tributes, including wreaths from the Admiralty, the Lord Mayor and Corporation of Portsmouth, and official wreaths from the command, were carried in the procession by ratings. One of them was a magnificent emblem in ferns and gold leaf. At noon there was a memorial service in the Victory. It was conducted from the poop by the dockyard chaplain, the Rev. T. Crick, and the Rev. J. W. B. Moore.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19370806.2.18

Bibliographic details

Evening Star, Issue 22720, 6 August 1937, Page 3

Word Count
497

BURIAL AT SEA Evening Star, Issue 22720, 6 August 1937, Page 3

BURIAL AT SEA Evening Star, Issue 22720, 6 August 1937, Page 3