Military Funeral
by Steve Pritchard-Jones
Veterans funerals honour people who have served their country but have since left the Armed Forces. Funerals for those men and women serving in the armed forces take many forms and are a way of paying respect to those who have died in active service.
The United Kingdom doesn’t have an official burial ground for members who served in Her Majesty’s Armed Forces but funeral services can be held in a place of worship or at another appropriate venue.
In the United Kingdom, there is no typical military funeral protocol, but there are ceremonial traditions that are common e.g.
- Draping of a Union Flag across the coffin
- Folding the folding and presenting the Union Jack to loved ones
- Sounding The Last Post
- Ceremonial ‘reversed arms’. The coffin’s escort reverse their weapons – hold them underneath their arms, facing backwards. This is followed by a command to “rest on your arms reversed” when guns are lowered and heads are bowed, in a gesture of honour and respect.
- Military salute or gun salute (volley of shots). This usually takes the form of a three-volley salute. Between three and seven service men or women firing three shots from their service rifles in honour of their compatriot.
When a member of the Royal Navy dies it is known as ‘crossing the bar’ and a Navy funeral could include burial at sea. The Royal Navy also suggests that it’s appropriate for ex-services personnel to use the Union Flag, but that the White Ensign should only be used for sailors who died in active service.
Any member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces is entitled to receive a military funeral, paid for by the British Armed Forces, but only if they die during active service. However, service men and women who died after leaving active service, often receive military honours at their funeral but the cost is the responsibility of the family. There may be financial help available and the Royal British Legion can offer help and advice and in some cases, financial aid.
Repatriation of those who died in active service as part of the British Armed Forces is a process that’s handled by the Armed Forces themselves and specialist funeral directors.
If a member of the British Armed Forces is killed during active service, the cost is covered by the Ministry of Defence. This will include:
- Repatriation
- Funeral director
- Coffin
- Hearse
- Family car
- Burial plot
- Headstone (engraved with a Service pattern, honouring their branch of the military)
- Headstone maintenance
- Internment of ashes with a small engraved headstone
The National Armed Forces Memorial – National Memorial Arboretum
In the UK there is no national cemetery for British Forces. The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire is a place of remembrance for those who have served, sacrificed and suffered protecting the United Kingdom.
At the National Memorial, there are hundreds of splendid individual memorials dedicated to regiments across the services. One of the main features is the National Armed Forces Memorial, which has the name of every person killed on duty since World War Two.
Every day a Remembrance service is held at the Memorial Chapel and the National Memorial Arboretum is also a venue for several major annual remembrance events.
Useful Links
THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Whitehall
Westminster
London
SW1A 2HB
Telephone: 020 7218 9000
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence
THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE – VETERANS UK
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/veterans-uk
THE SERVICE PERSONNEL & VETERANS AGENCY
Norcross
Thornton Cleveleys
FY5 3WP
Telephone: 0800 169 34 58
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/service-personnel-and-veterans-agency
JOINT CASUALTY & COMPASSIONATE CENTRE (JCCC)
Service Personnel and Veterans Agency
RAF Innsworth
Gloucester
GL3 1HW
Telephone: 01452 519951
www.gov.uk/guidance/joint-casualty-and-compassionate-centre-jccc
THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION
199 Borough High Street
London
SE1 1AA
Telephone: 0808 802 8080
Steve
Top Note Ceremonies
