HC Deb 05 May 1961 vol 639 c131W
Mr. D. Jones

asked the Civil Lord of the Admiralty how many men and women are now serving with Her Majesty's ships; how many of these are serving abroad; how many of those serving abroad have died, or been killed, since 1945; and in how many cases their bodies were brought home at Government expense.

Mr. C. Ian Orr-Ewing

On 1st April, 1961, there were 98,128 men and women, including juniors and locally entered personnel, on the strength of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Women's Royal Naval Service and Queen Alexandra's Royal Naval Nursing Service, and of these 24,296 were abroad, either ashore or afloat.

Between 1st January, 1946, and 1st April, 1961, a total of 1,019, including 58 locally entered personnel, died or were killed abroad.

It is contrary to the practice of all three Services to bring home at Government expense the bodies of Service men and women who die or are killed abroad. The only exception during the period in question was made in the case of two officers and seven other ranks of the Royal Marines killed during the Port Said operations in 1956, when it was feared that their graves would not be respected.