This day, the scheduled for
Bill Jenkins was to blow a ‘lament’ at the St. John’s Cemetery at Kalpally
at 11.15 am.
After going around the Kalpully cemetery, Bill and Jean
were shown the graves of the Admirals relations by Admiral O.S. Dawson,
and Bill played a hymn at the grave of the Admiral's father.
Bill then went on to play a ‘Lament’ at the stone central
open Chapel and Laid a Wreath.
This stone structure
in the middle of the Cemetery, has replaced the old Chapel which was at
the side of the gate and also the wooden archway entrance.
There are a couple of bird-house structures for burying the ashes-urns
at the rear end of the Chapel.
Only the Admiral and
Ronnie Johnson were present besides Bill and Jean, and of course the
Cemetery caretakers
, and the Navy batman.
St. John's Cemetery has some real magnificent graves, outstanding
amongst them are the Fitzgerald Family graves. The cast iron grills
around the graves have remained so long because they are really heavy,
and cannot be lifted unless cut in pieces. There is evidence on one
of the graves of attempted successful and unsuccessful vandalism of the
side marble slabs.
Some of the graves in Plot C, located in the North-Western side
of the Cemetery. Here one can find the graves of John Wheeler Cleveland
(Cleveland Town in Bangalore is named after him), his wife Louisa Elizabeth,
a lovely unique grave of Charles Speechly, and many others.
A panoramic view of the
St. John's Cemetery, Kalpully.
One kept hoping that permission
be received for Bill to visit the ‘Sappers and Miners’ War Memorial
in the MEG Parade grounds, but this was not received from Delhi.
The MEG is adjacent to St. John's Cemetery.
