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An Order for the Burial of the Dead at Sea issued by The Missions to Seamen
An Order for the Burial of the Dead at Sea issued by The Missions to Seamen

An Order for the Burial of the Dead at Sea issued by The Missions to Seamen

Maker (1856 - 2000)
Date1944
Object number00054908
NameBooklet
MediumFabric, ink on paper
DimensionsOverall: 175 × 115 mm
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Mission to Seafarers
DescriptionThis booklet An Order for the Burial of the Dead at Sea was issued by the Missions to Seamen in Western Australia in 1944 after 'a need felt' by Masters in the Merchant Navy 'for a simple form of committal'. It was presented to a Captain Park, master of the SALAMANCA by the Missions to Seamen in Fremantle.HistoryThe Mission to Seamen began in 1855 after Rev Dr John Ashley led the way by offering support and spiritual care to mariners in Bristol, England. The Anglican Church took up his work throughout the world by establishing Missions to Seaman in ports across the globe, numbering today around 200. Their role was to support mariners spiritually and grew to offer recreation facilities and practical support such as accommodation, legal advice, and transport and communication facilities.SignificanceThe burial at sea procedures is a poignant record of the role of the merchant navy during war.