Wartime Burial For Deceased At Sea
In wartime, attempts are made for burial at sea to follow the same procedure as in the peacetime burial at sea, although a ship on a combat mission may not have all the necessary resources available. Nowadays, it is usually possible to airlift the remains back to shore, and prepare a burial ceremony. However, as recently as World War II, deceased were buried at sea without returning to land. Due to the limited facilities of military ships, this procedure usually does not include a casket, but the body is sewn into a sailcloth with weights, usually rocks or cannonballs. Cremation is usually not possible on a ship. During the Pacific campaign there were some instances where deceased aircrews were buried at sea in the remains of their damaged aircraft, which were ceremonially pushed overboard from their aircraft carrier
Read more about this topic: Burial At Sea
Famous quotes containing the words wartime, burial, deceased and/or sea:
“The man who gets drunk in peacetime is a coward. The man who gets drunk in wartime goes on being a coward.”
—José Bergamín (1895–1983)
“I heard the bell tolled on thy burial day,
I saw the hearse that bore thee slow away,
And, turning from my nursery window, drew
A long, long sigh, and wept a last adieu!”
—William Cowper (1731–1800)
“The Papacy is no other than the ghost of the deceased Roman Empire, sitting crowned upon the grave thereof.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)
“I wouldn’t think of asking you to lie; you haven’t the necessary diplomatic training.”
—John Farrow. Consul in Valparaiso, The Sea Chase (1955)