HC Deb 30 July 1963 vol 682 cc67-8W
Mr. Stratton Mills

asked the Secretary of State for War if he will state the number of soldiers who have been killed or died while serving abroad outside north-west Europe since 14th March, 1963, to the nearest convenient date, the number whose bodies have been brought to Great Britain for burial at public expense, the number of occasions when the body has been brought back to Great Britain at the expense of the relatives, the number of occasions that relatives have been sent to the funeral service at public expense, and the number of occasions that relatives have attended the funeral service at their own expense.

Mr. Godber

Between 14th March and 24th July, 1963, twenty-three officers and men died or were killed while serving abroad outside north-west Europe. In no case were their bodies repatriated to the United Kingdom or their relatives flown out to attend their funerals at public expense. War Office records show that during this period the bodies of one officer and two men have been repatriated at private expense. There may have been others as repatriation of bodies at private expense is not necessarily reported to the War Office. No records are available of private visits by relatives to funerals of servicemen whose deaths have occurred abroad.