"Last Post" Honors British Sailors

Since 1942, the village of Ocracoke has hosted a ceremony to remember the crew of HMT Bedfordshire who were killed when their vessel was torpedoed off the North Carolina coast. As far as I know, each year "Taps" has been sounded by a bugler after the Roll of Honor – the names of the sailors killed – is read. Many of us know and appreciate Howard Bennink for performing Taps at the ceremony, which he’s done every year except two since 1994. Last year, if you attended the ceremony you probably noticed "Taps" wasn’t played. Instead, Howard performed the "Last Post" tune. We made that change for good reason.

When Will and I were visiting my parents in January of 2017, my dad asked why the "Last Post" isn’t performed at the British Cemetery ceremony. I had never heard of the "Last Post," so he explained that it’s the British equivalent of "Taps" and we might better honor the Royal Navy Patrol Service sailors buried in Ocracoke village if it was performed. Not only that, officers from the British Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy attend and participate in the ceremony, people related to the sailors from Bedfordshire travel to the island, and British and Canadian citizens come to remember their countrymen. It seemed most appropriate the "Last Post" be played since it’s a British military ceremony at a Commonwealth War Graves Commission site.

So, how did the "Last Post" come to be? Long before technology allowed military personnel to communicate through radio and other devices, buglers would play calls to communicate to large numbers of soldiers throughout the day. "Reveille," the first call of the day used to awaken the men, was one of about another dozen or so calls used to instruct soldiers what to do next. "Last Post," first published in 1790, indicated to the men in British Army camps the officers had reached the last post in the camp’s inspections for the day and they could retire for the evening.

By the late 1800’s, most regimental musicians and bandmasters were civilians and were no longer required to travel to overseas postings. Prior to this change, military bands would play music to accompany those killed in battle to their final resting place. Once the obligations for regimental musicians changed, the only musician who did accompany the troops overseas was a single regimental bugler. That change led to a challenge: what is to be played to honor those killed on foreign battlefields when military bands aren’t readily available? The lone regimental bugler began sounding the "Last Post" over the graves of the war dead killed in foreign battles. Until 1982, Great Britain and its Commonwealth lands traditionally buried their war dead where they fell, unlike the United States, which has always had a repatriation policy. That is why there are so many British and Commonwealth war dead around the world, and why four Royal Navy Patrol Service sailors are buried in Ocracoke.

The BBC writes, in an article from Remembrance Day 2015, “The Last Post now signalled the end not merely of the day but of this earthly life. And, as the practice developed - back home now as well as abroad - it was then followed by few moments of silent prayer and by the sounding of Reveille, the first call of the day, to signify the man's rebirth into eternal life."

This year will be the second time the "Last Post" will be played at the British Cemetery ceremony here. Following British tradition, the "Last Post" will be played and a two-minute silence will occur directly after. "Reveille" will sound at the end of the two-minute silence, indicating the military ceremony has come to a close. 

To listen to the Last Post and "Reveille" (also seen called the "Rouse"), go to:

https://youtu.be/2weDBlOTgmo and https://youtu.be/r9RwkNVqtog

The 2018 British Cemetery ceremony and reception are scheduled for Friday, May 11 at 11am. 

This year is the 76th anniversary of the sinking of H.M.T. Bedfordshire off the North Carolina coast. Representatives from the British Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy will be in attendance, as well as members of the United States Coast Guard, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and seniors from Ocracoke School. A luncheon follows at the Ocracoke Community Center.

Crystal writes for the Ocracoke Current and also volunteers as the coordinator of the Ocracoke British Cemetery ceremony each year.