The Admiralty may out of the funds of Greenwich Hospital from time to time grant pensions to widows and allowances to children of—
(a)Non-commissioned officers and petty officers and men of the Royal Navy and Marines killed or drowned in the service of the Crown, or on lifeboat service ; and of
(b)Men of the Royal Naval Volunteers killed or drowned in the service of the Crown; and of
(c)Men killed or drowned in the service of the Crown while serving in the Seamen Pensioners' Reserve ; and of
(d)Men of the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteer Force killed or drowned in the service of the Crown.
The Admiralty may out of the said funds from time to time grant gratuities to parents or other relatives dependent on any such non-commissioned officer, petty officer, or man, as aforesaid, killed, drowned, or deceased as aforesaid, so, however, that the total expenditure in such gratuities shall not exceed in any one year the sum of five hundred pounds.
The Admiralty may, if they see fit, by regulations made as hereinafter mentioned, extend the powers and provisions of this section to cases where such non-commissioned officers, petty officers, or men as aforesaid, die from the effects of any injury or disease cause by extraordinary exposure or exertion in the service of the Crown.
No person shall be eligible to receive any benefit under this section on account of the decease of any such non-commissioned officer, petty officer, or man as aforesaid, which took place before the fourth clay of June one thousand eight hundred and eighty.