RMS Windsor Castle

[happy daze john in oz]

The disposal of bodies at sea was changed as I am informed by a decree from the UN.

Protection of the seas from all forms of pollution which means no rubbish is allowed to be dumped at sea.

All ships are required by various laws to take all such matter ashore at the end of the voyage or at any suitable port along the way.
All cruise ships now have a morgue on board capable of holding up to 6 I was told.

[Brett Hayes]

Dear Doc Vernon,
Thank you for your reply to my post.
I’m afraid I do not recognise any of the names.
In my article, I would have deliberately avoided using actual people’s names anyway:
‘No names, no pack-drill’, as it were.
Brett

[Brett Hayes]

Dear John in Oz,
Thank you for your response to my post re. RMS Windsor Castle and burial at sea.
I didn’t realize that burial at sea was no longer practised (unless arranged ‘privately’).
Brett

[Brett Hayes]

Dear Des,
Thank you for your reply to my querying the ‘rank’ of the petty officer who would probably have given out sugeeing equipment, paint +c to the deck ratings on the Windsor Castle.
I shall be submitting an article soon on my witnessing a burial at sea on this vessel. I have avoided giving precise dates/ names +c for confidentiality’s sake.
I remember (or at least I think I do) someone saying that he and the bosun had prepared the corpse for burial, and I must have assumed that a ‘sailmaker’ would have stitched him up. (Sounds more appropriate than ‘lamp-trimmer’.)
All best,
Brett

[Brett Hayes]

Dear Keith,
Thank you

i had to polish the board they put the body on and ring the bell as the body was dropped into the sea on the S A ORANJE ex Pretoria castle

- - - Updated - - -

i had to polish the board they put the body on and ring the bell as the body was dropped into the sea on the S A ORANJE ex Pretoria castle

Dear Keith, thank you for your interesting post.
When I ‘witnessed’ a burial aboard RMS Windsor Castle, I did not hear a bell being rung, but that is not to say it wasn’t done, as on the SA Oranje.
Brett

[Nigel Smith]

I recall witnessing a burial at sea on the Southern Cross, the old man had said his piece and the body gently slid off the board. I was facing astern and was quite surprised to see the deceased pop up like a cork in the wake of the ship. I never said a word since nobody else noticed

[Donald Dalrymple]

I did one voyage on her in the late sixties as a DHU. I cannot recall the job-title of the petty officer who used to give out ship’s cleaning/ painting gear to the deck-ratings from his locker below deck. It wasn’t the bosun or the bosun’s mates. He might have been the sailmaker or lamp-trimmer or store-keeper, or perhaps a combination of some of these. Can anybody help? (I am writing an article about a sea-burial that took place on this voyage, and would like to get the facts that I can remember as accurate as possible.)

Brett Hayes
(R863743)

Hi Brett I was on RMS Windsor Castle maiden voyage 1960 the P O then was the painter named Phil but can not recall the surname he dealt with all cleaning gear the lamp trimmer who was Ron done all other jobs Bosun was Buck Taylor and a fine ship as well wish I had stayed with UCL

[happy daze john in oz]

Tizzard was the carpenter but cannot recall the bosun by name, but think he was on her for a good many years.

Oakley was the first skipper and fleet commander, followed by Smith then Patey if I recall correctly.

[Bryan Portwig]

Brett,

I can't help with that as I sailed on Bulk carriers and general cargo tramps and we only had a bosun and a carpenter (although the carpenter didn't do much woodworking!).





I love this site for bringing back old memories - sorry I couldn't help with the definition.

hope this brings back a memory or two

[happy daze john in oz]

Today being Thursday she would have been in one of three places.

At 1600 hours leaving Southampton,
at 0600 hours pulling into Cape Town harbor,
or at 1500 hours getting ready to take on bloods in the morning before sailing for UK.