MILITARY FUNERALS
Unsurprisingly, as family funeral directors with funeral homes in Sandhurst, Aldershot and Farnborough, Holmes and Family Ltd are privileged to be called upon to carry out military funerals in those areas. Over many years Holmes and Family has conducted funerals for serving members of the army, navy and air force, as well as RAE Farnborough engineers and pilots.
Any serving member of the armed forces will qualify for a military funeral. All of us will remember the bodies of serving personnel killed in action being transported with great dignity through the streets of Wootton Basset. Those Union flag draped coffins are indelibly etched on the national memory, and many of them would have been transferred onwards to a local family funeral director, such as Holmes and Family in Sandhurst, Aldershot and Farnborough.
There is no requirement for a military funeral, nor is there a standard way of doing one. That said, traditions are often important to the families and colleagues of serving military personnel and their colleagues. The draping of a union flag across the coffin and the folding and presentation of it to the family on completion of the funeral is always a moving event. Unsurprisingly, this has become a common feature at the funeral of most army personnel, burial or cremation. A bugler playing the last post is another common feature of military funerals or a funeral held for ex-service people.
Holmes and Family conduct many funerals for retired service people, these are called Veterans funerals. Sometimes with the help and assistance of the persons former regiment, some ex-forces officers and staff are financially assisted with the funeral arrangements. Holmes and Family have conducted funerals at all local military cemeteries, including of course, Aldershot and Sandhurst. Most local Padre’s priests and minister’s are known to us and us to them.
It has been the privilege of Holmes and Family funeral directors to regularly conduct funerals in the Royal Memorial Chapel at Sandhurst. In 2018, we had the honour of conducting the funeral of Viscount Alanbrooke, whose service actually took place at St Eligius Church, Arborfield. Holmes and Family often conduct funerals at The Royal Garrison Church Aldershot, additionally, we assist families with funerals at St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Cathedral Church, Queens Rd Aldershot.
When a member of the Royal navy dies, it is known as ‘crossing the bar’ and a burial or the disposal of ashes or cremated remains may be done at sea. Holmes and Family can arrange both and has been called upon to scatter ashes at sea with the assistance of the RNLI. Usually, the local Royal Navy Association will send a representative or standard to the funeral of a former sailor.
We regularly work with both the Metropolitan and Surrey Police for the funerals of former officers. It has also been our sad duty to conduct funerals for serving police officers and civilian staff too. Again, the family can choose to have as much or as little involvement from the police as they wish. Holmes and Family are experienced in all aspects of police funerals, as well as those of serving fire fighters and ambulance personnel. Whatever your need, civilian or service, Holmes and Family are caring, friendly expert funeral directors, with modern funeral homes in Aldershot, Sandhurst, Farnborough, Fleet, Staines upon Thames and Ashford Surrey.