NAVAL BURIAL AT SEA

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 December 1933, Page 5

NAVAL BURIAL AT SEA

AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. [PEE PBEBB ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, December 7. With full naval ceremonial, the ashes of the late Paymaster Captain H. C. Parker, R.N., “retired,” were cast into the sea from H.M.S. Diomede on Tuesday afternoon, when the cruiser was on her way from Gisborne to Auckland. Paymaster Captain Parker’s death occurred in Auckland last week, and his body was cremated and the ashes sent to Gisborne for naval burial at sea. At the time of his death Paymaster Captain Parker was President of the Auckland branch of the Navy League. The casket containing the ashes was taken on board the Diomede last Monday, and on the following morning, at. 11 o’clock, the cruisei’ put to sea. At about 1.30 pan., the engines were stopped, the boatswain’s pipe called all

hands to their divisions, and then all were marched aft to the quarter deck, where the naval funeral service for burial at sea was held. The casket, covered by a Union Jack, was brought on deck, carried by two petty officers belonging to Paymaster Captain Parker’s own branch of the service. They were followed by two officers of Commander’s rank as pall bearers. A guard of seamen mounted on the quarter deck silently came to the present. The White Ensign at the stern was flying at half-mast. The service was read by Captain Cosmo Graham and at an appropriate time, the casket was committed to the deep. A firing party fired three volleys over the silent sea, and between the first and second volleys, and again between the second and third, the bugler sounded the Commodore’s Salute. As the echoes of the last volley died away, the “Last Post” was sounded by a bugler. The guard Axed bayonets and presented arms as a last salute to the dead. Al! the officers came to the salute. The simple service, allied with traditional naval ceremonial, impressed everyone on board. At its conclusion, the position Where the casket was cast into the sea was marked off on the chart, and then the cruiser continued her trip to Auckland.