Naval Party 1830, BFPO Ships
At sea, 23rd June 1982.
Dear Mr & Mrs Callan
Thank you for your letter of the 10th June which I received today. You will have heard by now of your son’s tragic death which took place on the morning of the day that you wrote.
Paul fought for almost a fortnight against terrible wounds, and during that time he was constantly attended by the specialists and nurses of the Intensive Care Unit. He underwent two operations and received nearly 50 pints of blood. The doctors ensured that, throughout the whole ordeal, he suffered as little pain as possible…
Two days before he died I gave him the Last Rites, although he was always unaware of his probable fate. I thought it better not to tell him and I waited until he was unconscious before saying the final prayers. After his death his body was returned ashore. There was no opportunity to consult you about this, but I guessed you would have preferred him not to be buried at sea. There is still a possibility that he will be returned to England with the others. You should know that his nurses, who were devoted to him, begged that he should be buried ashore - and I hope our decision will meet with your approval.
Paul was buried on the 10th in a simple ceremony at Ajax Bay. Our Royal Marine bandsmen lined the route as he was carried from the hospital ship, and many others turned out to pay their last respects. Paul was greatly admired for his courage, strength and courtesy. It was a very sad day when such a fine young man died. Indeed, the most awful thing about our loss has been the awareness that he was among the cream of our strongest, fittest and finest young Englishmen.
Paul had some friends from his unit who had also been wounded and had visited him each day. He was given the very best medical attention and was free from pain for most of the time. I was with him when he died. It was a great privilege to do whatever I could for him, and I am deeply sorry that despite our best efforts we failed to save him. We all thought he was very special, and his loss was keenly felt throughout the hospital ship.
