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[Vincennes]

Here is a neat item I picked up today. It appears to be a 4 page funeral service brochure for John Allan Whitfield who was buried at sea during WW2. I show the entire item in the two scans below. The 2 inside pages are shown first then the back and front cover.

But I have a number of questions. I know the USAT Maui was a US Army Transport ship in the Pacific at this time. But:
1) Is this just the Memorial service, or the actual burial at sea?
2) It says the ship is at sea on March 25 (Page 1), but was it at sea when the man died on the 18th. (page 2)? How long did the sea voyage take? Since I do not know where it was going or where it started I do not know.
3) If the man died on March 18 (page 2) would he just be being buried on March 25 (page 1)? The Order of Services (page 3) does include a Prayer of Committal.
4) Was the man military or civilian? His age is 54 and no rank is indicated.
5) I assume there were no provisions for preserving bodies on these crowded troop transports?

Comments?

Paul

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Edited by Vincennes, 16 June 2012 - 01:31 PM.