Military burial Lieutenant Colonel Harvey Gale

While out on a shooting expedition on the morning of 29 February 1948, NX201 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) Harvey Ennis Gale, Area Commander at HQ BCOF, Eta Jima, was accidentally killed. The coffin was transported on a gun carriage from HQ Eta Jima, then by special landing craft to Kure where it was placed on board a special train which conveyed the escort and many floral tributes to the British War Cemetery at Yokohama. The service at the graveside was conducted by Padre Rex Dakors. Music was supplied by the 67th Battalion Band which led the cortege to the graveside playing the Death March. 25 (NX1) Brigadier (Brig) Ronald Godfrey Howy Irving, Base Commander, represented the Acting Commander in Chief, NX82937 Brig Wallace Kenneth Ferguson the UK Liaison Mission; Colonel H M Foster, Bricosat, Tokyo; Lt Col D A Gillespie; VX108087 Lt Col Lucius O'Brien John Connolly and Lt Col S J Greville, BCOF and Base HQ. Senior NCO's from BCOF HQ under NX11012 Captain (Capt) Albert Arndell Coleman acted as bearers. The pall bearers from 67th Australian Infantry Battalion were 386 (VX85235) Lt Col Thomas Fergus Buchanan Macadie; Major (Maj) I B Ferguson; Maj A F P Lukon; 57504 (WX2609) Capt George Lampier Bales; QX772 Capt Robert Eric Coventry Hearle; 340021 (VX775) Lieutenant (Lt) William James Chitts; Lt W B O'Dowd; Lt R J Lemereior; 5905009 (58000, VX174, WX700176) Maj Thomas Angelo Rodriguez. QX36030 (Q27648) Capt Harold Eric Emmett, commanded the escort; Sergeant T R Bandy the firing party. Identified in the bearers party at Yokohama cemetery is (A31665) Leading Aircraftman Herbert Charles Duke of the Royal Australian Air Force.