|       Page 3       |            


.

The destroyer arrived at Visby around 2 o'clock on September 7.

Gotlands Allehanda's account: « When the destroyer had moored in the port, the oak coffin, covered with the Swedish flag, on which the deceased officer's sword was placed, was carried on land by sailors while a troop of honour paraded and the orchestra played Chopin's funeral march. » 

Crowds of people gathered in the streets to follow Lieutenant Sandström to his last dwelling.

The long funeral procession started to move towards the Old Cemetery.

The hearse was followed by coaches in which the deceased's family members were seated, a parade unit from the Navy as well as officers.

On arrival at the cemetery, the infantry unit formed a lane while the coffin was carried into the chapel. The vicar K. Thelander held a funeral speech ending thus « Lieutenant Sandström had chosen a very dangerous activity and was well aware of the danger when he chose this profession. But he also knew that his country needs men in the place he chose. And since he was a man devoted to glory and without fear, he wanted to serve his country exercising the aviator's dangerous profession as his mission in life. » The grave was covered with flowers.

The following year, in June 1918, Ivar's friend Carl Gustaf Krokstedt lost his life together with C. Cederström in the bay of Åland.

 

 

Lena Svedman Augris

    

This page was updated: November 8th 2008
Copyright © 2003-2008, Lena Svedman Augris.
Published with the author's permission.
Web-master: Jan-Folke Fernholm.

  Mail to the author.                 Mail to web-master.

End