Work We Must: An Artifacts Association Update

January, 2013
Work We Must: An Artifacts Association Update
by David M oores
Sometimes it ain't even over
when it's over. Sure, the
renovations are completed, and
most of the artifacts are back in
place, but for the Artifacts
Association, the work continues.
For a start, there's the
paperwork. Most of the donors
should have received their tax
receipts by now, or they soon
will, thanks to Margaret Morris
and Norm Macfie.
And yes, most of the
replacement has taken place, but
a lot remains to be done. This is
necessarily slow work, involving
small work parties putting up a
few plaques or pictures at a time.
W e have to arrange our efforts
around work hours, both our own
and the club's. This is time
consuming, and we ask your
patience.
While we're on the topic of
things on the walls, we've had a
couple of enquiries as to how we
decided where to put them where
we did. There are no hardand-fast rules, but this is roughly
the thinking. The first priority
was to replace the gunshield art
in more or less the positions they
origin-ally occupied. This
couldn't be perfect, as the club
has changed in the past 70 years.
W e lost a stretch of wall to a fire
exit, for instance. The second
priority was to replace later
objects that are central to the
character of the place, such as
the caribou, or Sir Leonard
Outerbridge's sword. The plane
models are a part of the club's
later history. Lulu Belle has a life
or her own, and of course the
periscope is sacred.
Next, we wanted to display
the innumerable ships' plaques as
well as various photos, such as
the U-190. This gave us the
opportunity to winnow out the
many duplicate plaques, and to
put into storage items that had no
particular naval significance. W e
also took the liberty of putting
like objects together where
possible, such as Canadian Navy
versus visiting navies.
As I said, none of these rules
are absolute; we have made and
will continue to make exceptions
as the work continues. And
continue it will.
said, "soaking it in."
My friend is a devoted history
buff, particularly of things
military. He, like many others,
thinks that the Crow's Nest is the
most comprehensive and by far
the most authentic connection to
Newfoundland's military history.
W e talked about the
gun-shield art, highlighting the
most notable pieces, and
identifying some of the art that
has been put on the walls
post-renovations, following years
of being stored. We looked at the
periscope, the best-known of the
Club's artifacts, and talked
(con’t on page 2)
President’s Message
by Tony Dearness
The essence of all things special
about the Crow's Nest was
distilled for me recently when a
visiting friend asked me to
accompany him to the Crow's
Nest. He had become a member
earlier in the year on a quick trip
to St. John's and he wanted to
spend some more time, as he
Page 1
President’s Message, continued from page p.1
about the story of the spike. W e
found badges from ships with
which we are familiar. W e
celebrated the ambience of the
Club and continued our
conversation at the bar.
The past year has been a year
of affirmation of the significance
Welcome Aboard
In Town:
Keith W illiams
Justin Mellor
W ayne Turpin
David Mitchell
Nancy Maher
Joe Bargagni
Noel House
Dr. Paul Collins
Gerald Cantwell
Charles Richardson
Bert Driessen
Out of Town:
Peter Turner,
Muskegon, Michigan
Tracey McGuire,
Auckland, New Zealand
Chad Dawe,
Fergus, ON
Peter Armstrong,
Vancouver, BC
Captain Thomas Johannsen,
Germany
Yvonne Geving,
Occidental, CA
John R. W helan,
The W oodlands, TX
Thomas Roedl,
Garden Grove, CA
Michele Perini,
Oakville, ON
George Bishop,
Nanaimo, BC
Mike Doiron,
Dartmouth, NS
John Volc,
Fall River, NS
of the Club as a place and of the
treasures it holds. Members and
other supporters contributed to
the campaign to rebuild the walls
and to fund future conservation
efforts. Plans are apace for
exterior installation of the plaque
to designate the site of the Club
as a National Historic Site.
I look forward to your
continued support of and your
presence in our Club.
I wish you a happy, healthy,
and prosperous New Year!
Members’ Activities
Capt. Jack Strong received
the Queen's Diamond Jubilee
Medal for his work with the
Merchant Navy Association.
Dr. Ed W illiams received the
Queen's Diamond Jubilee
medal for his work with both
the national and local branch of
the Naval Officers Association.
Cdr. Larry Trim, LCdr.
M argaret M orris and Gary
Green each received a medal
from the Russian Tall Ship
Kruzenshtern for their service
to the ship during her two port
visits.
CPO2 David Broom received
two medals - the Queen's
Diamond Jubilee Medal for his
involvement in the Thames
Diamond Jubilee Pageant, and
the Operational Service Medal
- Expeditionary for his
involvement in Operation
CARIBBE in the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Sea in
2007. He was also awarded the
Canadian Forces Decoration
Second Clasp for his 32 yrs of
service, effective September
2011.
Janet M cNaughton won the
Children's/Young Adult
Literature Award for Dragon
Seer's Gift at the 2012 Heritage
and History Book Awards.
Shannon Lewis-Simpson was
promoted from Lieutenant (N)
to Lieutenant Commander. She
was also appointed as the
Commanding Officer of
HMCS CABOT.
The Crows Nest Officers’ Club
PO Box 23161, Churchill Square
St. John’s, NL, Canada, A1B 4J9
Telephone (709) 753-6927 E-mail: [email protected]
W ebsite: www.crowsnestnl.ca
Editor: Janet McNaughton Proofreading: Germaine Fisher
Page 2
Wreaths Across Canada
by Gary Green
In 2009, W ayne Evans in a
gesture of remembrance for his
recently departed father, Fred
Evans and other departed
veterans, started the
Newfoundland and Labrador
branch of W reaths Across
Canada. The non-profit
organisation has among its goals
the commemoration of departed
veterans by placing wreaths on
their graves at Christmastime.
On the first Sunday in December
cadets, military personnel and
citizens gather in cemeteries for
a short ceremony and the placing
of wreaths. Each year, the
program in St. John's has grown
and this year almost 1,000
wreaths were laid, mostly in the
large Field of Honour in the
Mount Pleasant Cemetery. Other
wreaths were laid in the Forest
Road Cemetery which, among
others, contains the graves of
some members of the Crow's
Nest who died while serving
here or at sea during the war. In
the accompanying pictures, Ruth
Green is laying wreaths at the
graves of members Lt. (E)
H.J.G. Sutherland, R.C.N.; Lt.
G. Osborne, R.C.V.R.; LCdr.
A.C. Price, R.N. and LCdr.
Reginald U. Langston, R.C.V.R.
Mr. Evans has funded this
project largely from his own
pocket with some cash donations
from individuals and in-kind
support from a local
transportation and storage
company. This year, Canadian
Forces Station St. John's under
the leadership of CO Cdr. Larry
Trim, a CNOC member, got
involved in the fundraising and
raised over $5,000. The Crow's
Nest is pleased to have
supported the Station's activities
by providing items for auction.
In addition, individual members
participated in the fundraising
events, made donations and laid
wreaths. Plans call for increased
financial support in hopes that
the program may be expanded to
other cemeteries next year. For
more information on the W AC
program and pictures, visit the
W AC-NL website
http://www.wacnl.ca/
Crossed the Bar
Amelia Greene, St. John’s, 93,
widow of late Club member &
W W II naval veteran John
Greene. Ms. Greene and her
husband were very active
members of the Club as well as
a number of other
organizations. Ms. Greene
donated her husband’s medals
to the CNM AA.
Page 3
REMEMBERING THE CARIBOU AND HER GALLANT CREW
by LCdr (ret'd) Pat Jessup, HMCS Sackville
The Thanksgiving dishes were
barely put away on Tuesday, 13
October, 1942 when the 2222
tonne Newfoundland car ferry
SS Caribou, departed North
Sydney on a scheduled trip to
her home port of Port aux
Basques, Newfoundland. "The
night was dark with no moon,"
recorded the Officer of the
W atch in the log of Caribou's
Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)
escort, the "one-stacker"
Bangor-class minesweeper
HMCS Grandmère. Caribou
was carrying 237 that night. 191
passengers and a crew of 46, as
well as a belly-full of livestock,
cargo and railcars for her
owners, the Newfoundland
Railway. 118 of the passengers
were Canadian, American and
British military personnel
making their way to bases in
Stephenville, Argentia/Marquise,
Torbay, Gander and St. John's
on the island, and to Happy
Valley-Goose Bay in Labrador.
Among this group was Nursing
Sister Agnes W ilkie, RCNVR
returning for duty in St. John's.
A quiet transit was expected and
passengers settled in for the
night in their bunks and cabins
below decks.
Lurking in the vicinity was
the Nazi submarine U-69,
nicknamed “the laughing cow”
by her crew. With 16 kills
totalling 69,000 tonnes ,
Kapitän-Leutnant Ulrich Gräf
was anxious for one more hit
before U-69 finished its patrol
and headed home to Lorient,
France. Shortly before midnight, the submarine spotted two
ships travelling at 10.5 knots on
the horizon. Despite the
darkness, visibility was clear.
To Gräf, the Caribou–"belching
black smoke," looked like a
6,500 tonne- freighter and her
escort a "two-stack destroyer."
As described by historian
Michael Hadley in U-Boats
Against Canada, the misidentification of the size and type of
both ships was a problem
systemic in the Kriegsmarine. It
cost the Newfoundland ferry her
life.
At 03:21 am the ferry was
ripped by a torpedo fired by
U-69. Hit in the engine room
where the boilers immediately
exploded, the Caribou began
sinking fast. Despite the heroic
efforts on the part of the crew
and passengers, only one lifeboat
could be launched, and the rest
of the survivors fell into the
frigid water, clinging to
overturned lifeboats and bits of
wreckage. In less than five
minutes, the Caribou slipped
beneath the waves.
Grandmère carried out a
quick depth-charge attack
against the submarine, which
attempted to escape under the
sinking ferry, but an exhaustive
search for U-69 proved fruitless.
It was nearly three hours before
the minesweeper could return to
look for survivors. For many it
was too late. By then, of the 237
passengers and crew of the
Caribou, only 101 could be
recovered–136 men, women and
children were lost in the most
devastating attack in Canadian
waters in the Second W orld
W ar.
Caribou's Master Ben
Taverner and his sons, Harold
and Stanley, perished, as did
several other father-son teams
working as crew onboard.
Agnes Wilkie drifted away in the
night to become the only
Canadian nurse casualty of
enemy action during the Second
W orld W ar. Similarly, fellow
traveller Bride Fitzpatrick of the
Newfoundland Merchant Navy
was the only female of her
service to die during the war.
Howard Cutler, with the Royal
Newfoundland Regiment at
Gallipoli and Beaumont Hamel
during the First W orld W ar, was
killed working in the ferry's mail
room.
Eric Andrews, Royal Navy,
was one of the lucky ones.
Andrews not only survived the
sinking of the Caribou, but six
previous submarine attacks
during the war. Afterwards he
said: "I want to forget the
Caribou. The screaming of the
women and children was awful.
It was the worst experience I
ever went through." Left behind
were twenty-one widows and 51
children from the tight-knit
coastal communities, including
Howard Cutler's young son
Robert. Only 34 bodies were
ever found and brought ashore in
Port aux Basques for
identification. Suddenly the war
was on our doorstep.
In the days to follow Angus
L. Macdonald, the Minister of
National Defence for Naval
Services on behalf of Canadians
issued the following: "The
sinking of the SS Caribou brings
the war to Canada with tragic
emphasis. W e deplore the loss
of officers and men of our
fighting forces. Yet those for
whom our hearts bleed most are
the women and children. If there
were any Canadians who did not
realize that we were up against a
ruthless and remorseless enemy,
(Con’t on page 5)
Page 4
REMEMBERING THE CARIBOU
there can be no such Canadians
now. If anything were needed
to prove the hideousness of Nazi
warfare, surely this is it.
Canada can never forget the
Caribou." And Canada has not
forgotten.
Seventy years later, an at-sea
ceremony commemorated the
tragedy onboard the Atlantic
Vision–the modern day version
of the ferry service connecting
Newfoundland with Nova
Scotia. The ceremony also
included the committal to the
sea of the ashes of Robert Cutler
and Eric Andrews whose ties to
the tragedy are clear. Robert's
wishes were that his ashes be
scattered over Caribou's last
known coordinates, so that he
could be with his father
Howard–the mail room clerk.
Eric Andrews' last wishes were
to return to the Caribou, where
so many of his "mates" died that
fateful day.
Representatives from CFS
St. John's, NDHQ and Marine
Atlantic took part along with the
Cutler and Andrew families and
129 Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
from RSCC Caribou, North
(continued from page 4)
Sydney. Dr. Richard Gimblett,
the RCN Command Historian
provided introductory remarks
and Lieutenant (Navy) Padre
Jack Barrett officiated over the
wreath laying and committal
ceremonies. PO2 Kasandra
Kennedy, Royal Canadian Sea
Cadet Corps Admiral
Mountbatten, Sudbury, Ontario
played the Last Post in memory
of her great-grandfather Eric
Andrews. "The seas were rolling
fairly heavily and everyone at the
ceremony had some indication of
what the conditions were like for
the crew and passengers 70 years
ago," remarked Commander
Larry Trim, Commanding
Officer of CFS St. John's.
Rear-Admiral David Gardam,
Royal Canadian Navy
Commander of Maritime Forces
Atlantic added: "The loss of the
SS Caribou in 1942 by a German
U-boat is a tragedy beyond
words that is still felt today by
the family and friends of those
lost and by Marine Atlantic. I am
thankful that Canadians continue
to show respect to all members
of the Canadian Forces, and
especially to our veterans who
paid the ultimate sacrifice for
their country."
Following the service
Gwendolyn Andrews, daughter
of Eric Andrews wrote: "It was
very important to our father that
the lives lost when the Caribou
was torpedoed never be
forgotten. He certainly never
forgot. The commitment of
Dad's ashes to the deep at the
70th anniversary of the sinking
of the Caribou has meant a great
deal not only to our immediate
family but to all the extended
family and friends who loved
and honoured him throughout
his life. Thank you for allowing
Dad's ashes to be cast as he
wished. He was a hero in the
eyes of everyone but himself.
My father, Eric Andrews can
now finally rest in peace. And
we have can peace also knowing
that his wishes were carried
out."
Lest we forget the Caribou.
At sea commemoration of SS Caribou and committal to the sea
ceremonies onboard MV Atlantic Vision off of Port aux Basques.
The Caribou has also been memorialized in a
new book for young readers.
Page 5
Almost Home, the Sinking of the SS Caribou
A Profile of Author Jennifer Morgan
by Janet McNaughton
W hen Jennifer M organ was a
child, her grandmother would lift
a photo from its place of pride on
her piano and show it to her
grandchildren while she told them
stories about her father. Jennifer
learned that Thomas M oyst was a
man who loved jokes and magic
tricks, and also loved the work
that took his life. The photo
showed an older man with a
neatly clipped moustache,
standing proud in his marine
officer’s uniform, a porthole
behind his right shoulder. The
porthole belonged to the SS
Caribou, and he was the ship’s
second engineer. Thomas M oyst
should have retired in 1941, but
he stayed on because younger
men with the training to do his
job were hard to find, most
having joined up to fight in war.
Even so, the crossing from North
Sidney to Port-aux-Basques in the
early hours of October 14, 1942
was supposed to be his last before
retiring. Thomas Moyst survived
the explosion of the ship’s boilers
caused by the torpedo, but the
lifeboat he was in capsized
repeatedly, and he was last seen
alive clinging to the edge of a
boat. His body was later
recovered.
Those stories stayed with
Jennifer as she grew up to
become a visual artist and writer.
Now, she has made the tales
about her great-grandfather’s life
and death into an illustrated book,
Almost Home: The Sinking of the
SS Caribou, which was published
this fall in St. John’s by
Breakwater Books. The book is
aimed at young readers, but the
careful historical research,
authentic story and attention to
detail are making it popular with
all ages. Jennifer spent long hours
searching out artifacts such as a
child’s ration book and
Newfoundland war stamps to give
her illustrations the ring of truth.
Almost Home is clearly
influenced by recent trends in
graphic novel design. For
example, on one page, we can see
the story as it unfolds on different
levels of the Morgan home in St.
John’s, where Jennifer’s father
George grew up, and where
Thomas Moyst often visited in
July of 1942 while the Caribou
was in port for refit. The subdued
pallet suggests a St. John’s that
had
not yet been bedecked with
modern colours.
For Jennifer, drawing the
pictures to enhance her story
seemed a natural fit, “like putting
music to words.” The resulting
book is a haunting tribute to her
great grandfather, and
Newfoundland’s worst war
disaster. Almost Home is
available directly from
Breakwater Books,
http://www.breakwaterbooks.
com
Page 6
Themed Dinners Winter-Spring 2013
A number of themed dinners are
planned for the W inter-Spring
season. There will be the familiar
standards - Club Anniversary,
Corvette W ake, Artifacts, and
Paddy's Day, Battle of the
Atlantic, Mother's Day Brunch,
Lamb, Flipper and Churchill
(Lobster)–which help define the
Club's year. For each of these
dinners we will have an
appropriate program. In addition,
there will be two dinners to mark
significant royal 60th
anniversaries, the launch of HM Y
Britannia and the Queen's
Coronation. There will be special
menus and guests for each of
these.
A number of these dinners will be
dress-up affairs, and several will
be mess dinners, so now is the
time to dry-clean the mess kits,
tuxedos, business suits and
dresses in preparation for a busy
dinner schedule. Remember that
the caterers will try their best to
accommodate dietary restrictions
and needs. Please advise the staff
of such needs when making your
booking.
Don't forget that the last Friday of
each month. 5:00 - 8:00 pm is a
special "W eepers" with live
music, complimentary hors
d'oeuvres and occasional special
programs or visitors. Further
details for all of these events will
be announced via e-mail as the
time draws near.
Reservations for each dinner will
open approximately a month in
advance.
The social committee is working
on an even greater variety of
events for the fall and next winter.
W e are very interested in your
feedback. Please let us know if
you have comments about the
various events, programs and
menus. Also, we are eager to have
your suggestions for future theme
dinners, speakers, entertainers
and events, so don't be shy about
passing them along.
See you at the Club!
Naval Toasts and Customs
In the navy, there is a toast for each day of the week, a tradition that dates back to before the Battle of Trafalgar.
Normally these toasts are used at special occasions and mess dinners, but they may be used at any time. Most recently
the toasts were changed to better reflect the current Navy.
The "current toasts," listed in the middle column are the toasts that are authorized for use in today’s navy.
Day of the W eek
Monday
Current Toast
OUR SHIPS
Traditional Toast
OUR SHIP AT SEA
Tuesday
OUR SAILORS
OUR MEN
W ednesday
OURSELVES
OURSELVES
Thursday
OUR NAVY
A BLOODY W AR OR A SICKLY SEASON
Friday
OUR NATION
A W ILLING FOE AND SEA ROOM
Saturday
OUR FAMILIES
W IVES AND SW EETHEARTS
reply: MAY THEY NEVER MEET
Sunday
ABSENT FRIENDS
ABSENT FRIENDS
At a mess dinner, it is forbidden to propose a toast before the Loyal Toast to the Sovereign, except foreign heads of state
are toasted first if foreign guests are present. In civilian circles it is permissible to drink toasts with water but in naval
superstition this foreshadows death by drowning for the person toasted. Likewise, a glass that rings tolls the death of a
sailor. This explains why we never clink glasses when drinking a toast in the Club.
Page 7
Club Dinner Schedule January - June 2013
Saturday January 12, 2013
Beef Vegetable Soup
Pork with Apple Sauce
Pear Strudel
$ 24.95
Friday January 25, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Saturday January 26, 2013
Anniversary Dinner - Form al
Spinach Salad
Shaved Striploin (Salmon
Alternate)
New York Cheesecake
with a Blueberry Sauce
$ 24.95
Saturday February 9, 2013
Corvette Wake - Mess Dinner
Tiger Shrimp Cocktail
Roast Beef (Salmon Alternate)
Apple Dumpling with Bailey's
Custard
$ 24.95
Friday February 22, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Saturday February 23, 2013
Artifacts Dinner
Tomato and Juniper Berry Soup
Pan Fried Cod (Chicken
Alternate)
Two-Tone Orange and Chocolate
Parfait
$ 24.95
Saturday M arch 9, 2013
(Theme to Be Announced)
Market Garden Salad
Chicken with a Sundried Tomato
Sauce
Strawberries and ice cream
$ 24.95
Friday M arch 22, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Saturday M arch 23, 2013
St. Patrick's Day Dinner
An Assortment of Irish
Traditional Recipes
served buffet style
$ 26.95
Saturday April 6, 2013
Lam b Dinner
Smoked Salmon M ousse
Spring Lamb slowly roasted in
Rosemary served with
homemade mint sauce
(Salmon Alternate)
Bavarian Cream
$ 24.95
Saturday April 20,2013
HMY Britannia Dinner - Formal
(Menu To Be Announced)
Friday April 26, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Saturday M ay 4, 2013
Battle of the Atlantic Dinner Mess Dinner
Roasted Squash and Apple Soup
Carved Roast Beef
Pear Strudel with homemade
Hazelnut Ice Cream
$ 24.95
Sunday M ay 12, 2013
Mothers Day Brunch
(Menu to be Announced)
$26.95
Saturday M ay 25, 2013
Flipper Dinner
Sweet Tomato Salad
Flipper Dinner
Crème Brule
$ 22.95
Friday M ay 31, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Saturday June 1, 2013
Coronation Dinner - Formal
(Menu To Be Announced)
Saturday June 15 , 2013
Churchill Lobster Dinner
Spinach Salad
Lobster Dinner
Fresh Fruit Salad
$ 26.95
Friday June 28, 2013
Weepers
Complimentary Hors D'oeuvres
Send Us Your News!
Our members are involved in a wide range of
professional and volunteer activities and we like to
acknowledge their achievements. Please notify us of
accomplishments, awards and honours received by
you or a fellow member and we will be pleased to put
it in the next issue.
Page 8