On one occasion I remember, there was a second steward and they
found him one day, dead in his cabin. And I'll never forget
that. So of course there was a cable sent to her for funeral
arrangements and of all things she said, 'no, bury at sea'.
So I felt I had to go to his funeral. And I shall never
forget the feeling that I had when I saw that go over the
side. But I felt I had to go to represent them but I'll never
forget it, never forget that.
Question: Did they have many funerals at sea?
I didn't do it purposely to attend, but I went to go to the after
end to get rid of some rubbish and as I went, so this come over the
side and down, and it was a passenger. Oh!
Question: And he actually fell off board?
No he died and it was a passenger, oh and he died at sea so he was
buried at sea.
Question: Oh, so they were burying him just as you were
going up to...
...Yes and I didn't know anything about it. And that was
awful. And when I was on the Elizabeth, one evening time, I
was turning down one of the beds in a small cabin, and in the next
cabin I heard a lady screaming out, 'help me, help me', and I
rushed in to see what was wrong, and it was her husband and he was
dead, and I held him up loosely but he died with me holding
him.
