HMS Royal Oak survivor buried on wreck.

SilentNite · 10-17-08, 06:04 PM

Quote:

A HERO who survived when his ship was sunk in World War Two has been buried — in the wreck with his lost mates.

Fernleigh Judge, 88, never forgot the 833 men who died as HMS Royal Oak was torpedoed in harbour.
Royal Navy divers descended 100ft to the sea bed with a wooden casket containing his ashes.

Ship's crest ... Royal Oak

Able Seaman Billy Miller gently pushed the container, wrapped in a white ensign, through a porthole of the 25,750-ton battleship.
Fernleigh, who died in May, was a 19-year-old flight sergeant on the aircraft-equipped Royal Oak when a U-boat blasted it with three torpedoes on October 14, 1939.
He scrambled overboard and was picked up — one of 375 who survived as the ship exploded, rolled over and sank in just 13 minutes.
Fernleigh wished to pay tribute at the wreck site at Scapa Flow, Orkney, but was too ill to make the 600-mile trip from his home in Peterborough, Cambs.

Pal Patrick Lyons, 74, who helped arrange the burial, said: “Fernleigh was haunted by memories of what happened and desperately saddened by the death of so many crewmates.
“He was too poorly to go back so a burial at sea was his only option.”

Widower Fernleigh’s three children live abroad so fellow survivor Kenneth Toop took his ashes to Orkney.
Kenneth, 85, secretary of the Royal Oak Survivors’ Association, said: “I was honoured. I go to all the funerals if I can.”
Fernleigh served on battle-cruiser HMS Devonshire for the rest of the war. He was later a bandmaster in the Royal Marines.
His ashes were laid to rest as the divers from Faslane submarine base made their annual descent to replace Royal Oak’s ensign.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...cle1815799.ece

nikbear · 10-18-08, 02:40 AM

Bless him,may he finally rest in peace in the arms of his comrades

brought a tear to my eye when I read about it,he never forgot them

HansVonBeehan · 10-18-08, 03:45 AM

May he Rest In Peace.

God Bless

Jimbuna · 10-18-08, 07:33 AM

It's always gratifying to see someones last wishes carried out.

RIP Sir

iambecomelife · 10-18-08, 11:05 AM

RIP.

It saddens me that so many men spent what should have been their most fulfilling years locked in a life-or-death struggle.
I hope he finds the tranquility that was missing from much of his youth.

Sailor Steve · 10-18-08, 05:39 PM

Sad, but a heartwarming story. An old sailor gets his last wish.

bookworm_020 · 10-20-08, 01:47 AM

Nice to see that he can rest with his shipmates

RIP

10-18-08, 02:40 AM	#2
nikbear Sea Lord Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Northampton,UK Posts: 1,859 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	Bless him,may he finally rest in peace in the arms of his comradesbrought a tear to my eye when I read about it,he never forgot them __________________ 'It is not surely known when the grey wolf shall come upon the seat of the gods' Ericksmal.

10-18-08, 03:45 AM	#3
HansVonBeehan Torpedoman Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ramsgate, Kent Posts: 114 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	May he Rest In Peace. God Bless __________________ Cmdr. Mike Beehan Leutnant z. S. Hans von Beehan IC2,IC1,GC,KCOSDG Commander U-181, Type IXD2 1st Flotilla, Brest.

10-18-08, 07:33 AM	#4
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,464 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	It's always gratifying to see someones last wishes carried out. RIP Sir __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

10-18-08, 11:05 AM	#5
iambecomelife Silent Hunter Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 4,706 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 0	RIP. It saddens me that so many men spent what should have been their most fulfilling years locked in a life-or-death struggle. I hope he finds the tranquility that was missing from much of his youth. __________________ https://www.facebook.com/WolvesoftheKaiser/

10-18-08, 05:39 PM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Sad, but a heartwarming story. An old sailor gets his last wish. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-20-08, 01:47 AM	#7
bookworm_020 Navy Seal Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sinking ships off the Australian coast Posts: 5,966 Downloads: 1 Uploads: 0	Nice to see that he can rest with his shipmates RIP __________________ "There is always one person in any organization who knows whats going on, That person must be fired"