Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (A-49-34), St. John's, NL.
Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (A-39-31), St. John's, NL.
Recruiting the Men
In 1914 when war broke out, Lieutenant-Commander Anthony MacDermott was told that he would never get the 500 men that was required for active service overseas. This announcement (pictured left and right) was released in the middle of the fishing season (a season in Newfoundland where the fishermen have a few months to earn enough to provide for their families for a whole year) which meant that the recruits would experience financial loss if they were to leave mid-season. Nonetheless, MacDermott kept an open mind, and by and by they did come! 500 fine recruits joined the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve with many of them having to walk fifty or sixty miles to the nearest streamer or railway station to get to St. John's where the HMS Calypso was located.
Reserve Commander Anthony MacDermott
Commander Anthony MacDermott was selected to be the commanding officer of the HMS Calypso in the spring of 1914. MacDermott guided the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve until 1919. MacDermott was so loyal to the reserve that his wife and children, and their nanny, a Miss Kathleen Dyer were listed as crew in 1916 so they could live aboard the Calypso together.
When the "war to end all wars" broke out on July 28th, 1914, it was obvious that there was a need for naval reservists. Therefore, on August 3rd 1914, a royal declaration had beckoned all reservists to report aboard the HMS Calypso. By the end of August, almost 400 reservists had joined the ship despite it being in the middle of the fishing season on an island where fishing was the main industry. These reservists were very loyal in protecting their country with many of them being counted among those who had lost their lives in the sealing disasters of the spring of 1914. In 1914, the SS Southern Cross had sunk in a storm and lost all 175 crew, while 75 sealers from SS Newfoundland had also perished when they were stuck on the ice in a blizzard.
MacDermott and the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve clearly did not have an easy time protecting Britain in World War One. This was proven by the fact that German submarines had established their ability in crossing the Atlantic in 1917. This resulted in rumors spreading that the submarines would be looking to refuel in secluded harbors in northern Newfoundland and Labrador. This development created patrols that were responsible in investigating the reports. This meant that MacDermott had more responsibility as he was now in charge of home defense in Newfoundland, and organized the "Newfoundland Navy." The "Newfoundland Navy" was an armed amount of local coastal boats that inspected the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador for any distrustful activity. The SS Fogato, SS Cabot, and SS Petrel were boats in the "Newfoundland Navy" and naval reservists from the HMS Calypso helped make up their crew. MacDermott's dedicated and loyal service to Newfoundland and the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve will never go unforgotten.
"...The first
really effective
naval reserve
in what is now
Canada."
The efforts of the Newfoundland reservists did not go unnoticed in World War I by approximately 2000 Newfoundland reservists serving in the war with about 200 of these brave men being lost in action, and 150 being injured and sent home. Several reservists were presented medals and military honors but the bravery of these men that gave and risked their lives for the world's safety is summarized when the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve was described as "...The first really effective naval reserve in what is now Canada."
(Source: A Force to Be Reckoned With)
Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (A-49-34), St. John's, NL.
Who Were These Men?
Men from Newfoundland like Noah Rogers from 33 Scott St in St. John's (#3, Page 1), and William J. Kehoe from Harbour Grace (#48, Page 5) signed up for the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve in the fall of 1914. These men would have been used to working on the sea and were therefore a good match for the HMS Calypso and the Royal Naval Reserve. The majority of the Naval Officers were used to working in the coarse waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, and could work on any type of ship from the small punts to the large schooners that sailed to the Grand Banks. Men like Noah and William were as at home on vessels like the HMS Calypso as they were in their respective homes in St. John's and Harbour Grace.
Reserves List Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve 1900-1916.Courtesy of the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (E-43-16), St. John's, NL.
Misbehavior Repercussions
Newfoundlanders were used to being at sea and as a result they took to the routines and rules of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve like ducks to water. Despite not being used to being part of a Royal Naval Reserve, the men really excelled in the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve. Commander Anthony MacDermott of the reserve described the men as "their conduct was uniformly exemplary, punishments were practically unknown, and every order was carried out with cheerful alacrity and seamanlike intelligence."
Through the reserve Commander describing the men as "exemplary," it is easy to imagine how capable these men were as seafarers. The men were prepared for the sea as they had grown up by it, and could compete with the best of the Royal Naval Reserve when it came to cleanliness and behavior. This means that the regulations and investigations against officers (pictured left) did not have to be used that often but were in place in the event that an officer did misbehave.
MacDermott elaborated the good behavior of the men by saying that "I may say, indeed that there were no smarter-looking men in the whole Service." This comment can be seen by how the men were responsible for making and mending clothes to ensure that their uniforms were always in tip top shape.
However, the effectiveness of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve was really proven when an inspection by the Commander-in-Chief took place in 1914, and he said "But these fellows don't look like Naval Reserve men!" The Commander-in-Chief was surprised at how proficient the men were, and this describes the reaction that people from outside Newfoundland may have had of the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve.
The fact that the men looked like regular seamen and nothing like the Royal Naval Reserve men that would have been seen in England made quite the astonishment for some people when the men turned out to be deemed the "the best small boat men in the world".
Life Aboard Calypso
World War I - also known as "The Great War" - officially began on July 28th 1914 with Austria-Hungary declaring war on Serbia. The war started in Europe but quickly spread around the world which meant that the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve had to be ready to fight in the ‘Great War.' In order to ensure that the Naval Officers were ready for the war, they were trained on the Calypso where they were taught essentials skills for the sea.
For instance, a typical day on the Calypso on the very significant day of July 28th 1914 shows us how the officers were trained for war. The day started with the officers recording the weather as the weather is a very important condition on the sea when it comes to the safety of men, hands were then employed as requisite (hands were required wherever needed) starting at 7:15 am, followed by divisions and prayers, and more hands employed as requisite at 9:00 am, then by 1:15pm hands were employed as requisite, at 4:00pm officers headed to their evening quarters or the fire stations for work, and finally at 5:00pm the men left to watch for 7:00 am where the daily routines would be repeated all over again.
The men were trained with various skills to ensure that they could survive at sea. This meant that they had to adapt and learn new skills that might not have been the most natural to them in the time period of the early 1900's. An example of this was recorded on Wednesday May 12th 1912 when hands were employed to make and mend clothes at 12:00 pm. This skill that was usually regulated to women would come in handy for them when they were at sea without their wives or mothers to mend their clothes for them.
HMS Calypso in Full Sail, ca. 1883-1902.Courtesy of the Rooms Provincial Archives Division (B-17-22), St. John's, NL.
Courtesy of the Maritime History Archive, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL.
Courtesy of the Maritime History Archive (PF-345.022), St. John's, NL.