Military Funeral

South Canterbury Times, Issue 5016, 25 May 1889, Page 2

Military Funeral

The funeral of the late Garrison Bandsman Watts took place yesterday afternoon. The volunteers mustered at the drill shed shortly after 3 o’clock, the funeral party being in charge of Captain Jackson of the 0 Battery. The men left the drill shed at 3.30, and were quickly formed in order for a slow march. The deceased bandsman being on the roll of the Timaru Naval Artillery, the firing party was composed of gunners from that corps under the able direction of Staff Sergeant-Major Jones. As the party moved off, tho squad of Navals led, followed by members of the Garrison Band in charge of Bandmaster Wolf; then came one of the 0 Battery’s 9 p.r. Armstrong’s, to which was attached four horses, and on which lay the coffin, which was covered with the Union Jack, and bore the deceased bandsman’s uniform and helmet. The gun was followed by the chief mourners, and members of the Timaru Bifies and of the Timaru Fire Brigade, at the rear of which marched tho officers of the corps, followed by a large number of civilians, friends of the deceased. On the way to tho cemetery the band played the Head March, the route taken being along High street, the northern boundary of the park, into the Main South road, and then along the southern boundary of the park to the cemetery. Arrived hero the coffin was taken down and borne by men of the 0 Battery into the mortuary chapel where the service for the dead was road by the Veu. Archdeacon Harper. At tho conclusion, the funeral party was reformed, and marched to the grave, where a very large number of people assembled and listened attentively to the solemn service. At the close tho squad of Navals fired three volleys over the grave of their deceased comrade, and the volunteers were then marched to the drill shed and dismissed. Heartfelt were the expressions of regret by the many people present, for the widow who is left with her little ones to mourn tho loss of a kind husband and father.