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$4.99 July 2018
Vol 31 • No 02
Juicy Melon Recipes
Remembering the Regiment
Great Auk Revival The Badger Diner is Back
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Contents
JULY 2018
homefront 10 I Dare Say A note from the editor 11 Contributors Meet the people behind the magazine
12 Letters From Our Readers A Fort Pepperrell connection, knot tying and a mystery object
22 Downhome Tours Explore Italy with Downhome
24 Blind Ambition This travelling
26 italy awaits
salesman left an impression wherever he went. Elizabeth Whitten
28 That’s Amazing Wild news from around the world
30 Life’s Funny D’oh-ope! Ed Power 31 Say What A contest that puts words in someone else’s mouth
32 Lil Charmers By the Seashore
30 busted
34 Pets of the Month Water Dogs 36 Poetic Licence Wooden Boats Edwin Bishop
38 Why is That? Why do we wear ties? And why do we knock on wood? Katherine Hudson 40 Reviewed Denise Flint interviews Rosalind Gill and reviews her book, Too Unspeakable for Words. 4
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splashin’ pups 1-888-588-6353
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changing with the times
42 What Odds Paul Warford wants to clean up NL
44 In Your Words Resettlement and the Spiralling Deficit Charles Beckett
features 46 Flowers Forever Creative passion blossoms at Petal Jewellery Shop Wendy Rose
54 From Seed to Weed The evolution of a family business that spans almost 100 years Elizabeth Whitten 58 Stuff About‌ What do Queen Victoria, dandelions and medical marijuana have in common?
explore
46 petal power
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60 What’s on the Go Exciting events happening in Atlantic Canada 88 Still Bobbing Along The annual Manuels River Bobber Race continues to reel in funds for a worthy cause. Elizabeth Whitten July 2018
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Contents
JULY 2018
98 food to go
92 Boatloads of Fun 94 Travel Diary On the Trail of the Newfoundland Caribou John A. Montgomerie
94 solemn journey
food and leisure 98 Everyday Gourmet A “Big Easy” Picnic Andrea Maunder
102 Everyday Recipes 8 juicy melon recipes
110 The Best Fish & Chips…Is Back! After a devastating fire, The
102 melon madness
Badger Diner is back in business. Ashley Miller
114 Down to Earth Landscaping for Living Ross Traverse 6
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118 sailing into danger
reminiscing 118 Flashbacks Classic photos of our war heroes
119 This Month in History The first meeting of the Newfoundland Press Club 120 Petty Harbour Fishery Childhood memories and occupational folklore with Michael Hearn Terra Barrett About the cover In this issue readers get a real taste of Newfoundland and Labrador with this province-wide tour guide to the best food and drink activities and attractions on the menu. Your tour starts on page 62.
Cover Index 8 Juicy Melon Recipes • 102 10 Things to Do • 78 Honey Bee Hikes • 74 Eat and Drink • 62 Remembering the Regiment • 130 Great Auk Revival • 28 The Badger Diner is Back • 110
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122 Between the Boulevard and the Bay The True North Strong, Free and Brave Ron Young
124 Amelia Earhart in Newfoundland: The adventure continues Heather Stemp 140 Mail Order 144 Real Estate 148 Puzzles 160 Photo Finish
July 2018
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features
For celebration.
For comfort. For love. For weddings, graduations, anniversaries. For the passing of a loved one or the birth of a child. A baptism, a birthday, a dance recital. These are just a few of the many reasons we give and receive flowers in our lifetime. Corner Brook’s Megan Lundrigan (above) of Petal Jewellery is acutely aware of the many memorable moments we mark in this manner. While some may view the short lifespan of a bouquet as a finite way to celebrate, Megan’s special skill set ensures that flowers, and the memories attached to them, will never wilt or fade. 46
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Incorporating flowers from special occasions, Megan Lundrigan’s jewelry isn’t just beautiful, it’s meaningful. www.downhomelife.com
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Petals from many wedding bouquets have made their way into Megan’s custom jewelry. “Petal Jewellery Shop started as a hobby from the desire to create an object that preserved flowers, specifically flowers from a momentous occasion that represent a special place in time,” Megan says. It began with her desire to preserve her own wedding bouquet. “I learned that there was nothing offered in Newfoundland that customized jewelry by using flowers,” she explains. And when she discovered the art of making jewelry with resin, she knew she’d found exactly what she was looking for. Fortunately for her, Megan is naturally creative. “Growing up, I always enjoyed working with my hands and using my imagination to create 48
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unique crafts,” Megan says. Her mother often encouraged her to explore her creativity, to try new techniques and play with unfamiliar art mediums, giving her confidence when approaching the foreign art of resin jewelry. After her new hobby received an overwhelmingly positive response on social media, it was Megan’s grandmother, an entrepreneur and businesswoman, who encouraged her to take the next step and start a business. She already had their interest, so why not take their orders? “Friends and family began sending me messages, asking if I could make similar pieces using their flowers,” she says. 1-888-588-6353
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Her first piece was for her best friend Sam Hackett, who also wanted to commemorate her wedding day with a custom piece. Sneakily stealing some petals from the bouquet, Megan preserved Sam’s flowers, practising different techniques and resin mixtures until she achieved her desired result: a necklace and earring set made of her wedding bouquet. Gifting these items was “a major tear jerker,” Megan says triumphantly. She regularly encounters similar warm, fuzzy feelings in her particular line of work. “My first commissioned piece was for a client who lives in my hometown, Corner Brook. After her loved one had passed away, she reached out to me and asked if I could help turn the flowers from the funeral service into a keepsake. We designed matching jewelry for all the women
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in her family,” Megan says. Another touching moment stemmed from Megan’s collaboration with a Labrador client, who ordered a special anniversary present created with her mother’s 31year-old wedding flowers. In another case, a Grade 4 class commissioned a custom piece for their beloved teacher. An Ontario woman sent Megan a collection of handwritten Valentine’s Day notes from her late husband, hoping Megan’s artworks could preserve the tearing paper and fading words. And a new Canadian requested a custom patriotic necklace in the shape of her home country, featuring the colour of her country’s national flag. Megan has created matching sets for a woman meeting her biological siblings, adopted at a young age; and she collaborated with the Newfound-
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land Girl Guides conference to make Wonder Woman themed pins complementing their slogan, “Every Girl is a Superhero!” She fondly remembers making more than a dozen pieces in memory of a little girl who passed away after her battle with cancer. Megan created a necklace in her name, with all proceeds donated to the Islaview Foundation, a charity her family created in her memory. “My creative process is learning the story and meaning behind a client’s flowers,” Megan says. “Each story symbolizes a moment in time, which helps direct the way I construct that unique piece.” She gives her clients creative control over the shape, size, colour, texture and opacity of their custom
pieces, always interested in tackling any special characteristics they may request. Thanks to social media, word of mouth, and pop-ups at craft fairs and more, Megan’s work will soon be available island-wide. Customers will be able to bring their flowers for custom pieces to drop-off locations at participating flower shops in Grand Falls-Windsor, Clarenville and St. John’s. Not all of Megan’s work is customized. An artist with her own unique vision, she also churns out jewelry created with her own specially curated stash of flowers. Megan’s work is currently inperson, over-the-phone and online through social media, with a comprehensive website in the works. When
In addition to preserving her clients’ bouquets, Megan designs original pieces using her own stash of petals. 50
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the site launches, customers will be able to virtually create their jewelry online and place an order for their own design. Whether it’s creating unique custom jewelry, or selling pre-made pieces, customer reviews have been highly positive, with many of Megan’s pieces evoking an emotional response. “The normal reaction is usually tears and a hug or an overwhelming ‘thank you,’” Megan says, adding that she sighs with relief when the client is happy with the product. Perhaps the best review comes from Sam, Megan’s very first customer and now loyal collector. “I love wearing my Petal Jewellery, from everyday wear to special occasions. It…holds special meaning and www.downhomelife.com
wonderful memories,” Sam shares. “I can honestly say I consistently receive compliments on the beautiful, intricate details of each and every piece.” Megan’s jewelry business and the impact it has on her clients nicely complements her day job, her chosen career of nursing, making it all the more rewarding. She says, “As a registered nurse I enjoy helping others, and although this work is very different than nursing, I know it will allow me to continue providing compassionate and empathetic care.” Find Petal Jewellery Shop at www.facebook.com/PetalJewelleryShop and www.petaljewelleryshop.com. July 2018
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The Adventure Continues... By Heather Stemp
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The tri-motor Fokker 7 seaplane, Friendship, with Amelia Earhart, Bill Stultz and Slim Gordon on board, landed at Trepassey Harbour on June 4, 1928. The crew planned to spend the night and take off for England the next day. But as they sometimes do, plans changed. Next morning a northwest wind gusting to 30 knots kept them moored to the buoy. Trepassey Harbour was very narrow, with high hills on the western shore opposite the town and at the head of the harbour. The only way the plane could take off was down the length of the harbour into a southwest wind. They would need a northwest wind once they were in the air, but not before takeoff. All their observations made them uneasy. The wind continued from the northwest and by afternoon was blowing a gale. Stultz and Gordon used the time to work on the plane. The radio had been cutting out and the oil tank had a small crack. Amelia sent telegrams to George Putnam regarding their progress. On the one hand, they had only lost a day of flying. On the other hand, the delay gave Mabel Boll and Thea Rasche a chance to get into the air ahead of them. The two women were flying “land” planes that didn’t have the problems a seaplane had with the takeoff. Land planes were faster, could carry heavier loads and were free of the heavy pontoons that had the tendency to “stick” to the surface of the water, especially when it was calm. It was enough to make the Friendship’s crew wonder if they’d chosen the right aircraft for their mission. Although Thea Rasche prepared quietly for her flight, Mabel Boll was 1-888-588-6353
all about the publicity. She was loud, flashy and bold – the exact opposite of the woman Amy Guest wanted as the first to cross the Atlantic by air. A few months earlier, something had happened that increased Boll’s determination to beat the Friendship into the air. Bill Stultz had been hired by Boll and her backer, Charles Levine, to fly them in their plane, Columbia, from New York City nonstop to Havana, Cuba. Following the flight, Boll claimed she had hired Stultz for her proposed transatlantic flight and she thought he had accepted. What transpired between them is speculation. What is known is that Commander Byrd encouraged Stultz to accept Amy Guest’s offer because he felt it had a better chance of success. Stultz himself said Boll’s enterprise “smacked of the circus and unprofessionalism.” Whatever the true story, Amelia, Stultz and Gordon knew Boll was a threat. July 2018
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They also knew she wouldn’t sit still for long. She and Levine hired Oliver Le Boutillier as their pilot and Arthur Argyles as copilot to fly the Columbia. On June 5, while the Friendship sat at Trepassey Harbour, the Boll crew waited at Roosevelt Field in Boston for the weather to improve. They planned to take off for Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and then on to England. June 6 was sunny and crisp, but the wind in Trepassey Harbour still blew from the northwest. It began to swing to the south, but James Kimball, at the weather office in New York, reported heavy rain, fog and high winds off the coast of England. They weren’t going anywhere that day. Later that afternoon, a New York Times reporter in Trepassey told them Boll was planning to take off from Roosevelt Field the next morning. Although the weather had improved by the next day, a new problem arose for the Friendship crew. They discovered a hole in one of the pontoons. Once it was repaired, they made three attempts to take off, but all failed. Back on shore, they got the news that the Columbia had taken off from Roosevelt Field but had been turned back due to fog. Worse, in Amelia’s mind, was the news in the St. John’s Telegram. Thea Rasche’s plane was being delivered to Curtis Field on Long Island and within three days, she would be on her way to Berlin. 126
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The next few days brought no improvement in the weather in Trepassey. Amelia wrote in her log, “Our competitors are gaining on us by delay. Rasche is the one to fear. I wish we’d have a break.” They didn’t get a break and, in fact, it seemed as if a pattern had been set. When the weather improved, there were problems with the plane – a leak in the oil tank, saltwater in the motors, and pontoons that refused to “let go” of the water. When the plane was ready to go, the weather closed in. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse, another problem arose. Some reporters in Trepassey had alcohol with them. Stultz and Gordon began spending the evenings with them and wandering home in the wee hours of the morning. If the weather kept them on the ground, they slept most of the day. Amelia’s mood was very low. She wrote in her log, “Job had nothing on us. We are just managing to keep from suicide.” The worst news came on the evening of June 12. Boll had landed in Harbour Grace, where she was greeted by the whole town and taken to Cochrane House for dinner and a reception. Her pilot, Oliver Le Boutillier, announced they’d rest for a day or two, then “tackle the Atlantic.” On Wednesday, June 13, the Friendship made four more attempts to take off. Even with a lightened load of gasoline, the plane couldn’t lift off the water. They briefly considered a shorter flight to the Azores, 1-888-588-6353
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which required less fuel. They could refuel and continue to England. But the organizers and crew felt there were too many unforeseen dangers to implement that option. One piece of good news arrived that day. A dispute over the ownership of Thea Rasche’s plane had forced her to pull out of the transatlantic race. Another three days of bad weather kept the Friendship moored. During this time, Stultz’s drinking remained a concern. Amelia wrote, “Just now the boys are at Paddy Morton’s and I know the liquor flows.” Then on June 16, Kimball opened a small window of hope. He reported a storm over the Atlantic, “slightly to the south of their route.” He gave them a conditional okay to start the next day. The following morning, Amelia concluded it was now or never – even though Stultz was hungover from the night before. She and Gordon filled Stultz with black coffee and she practically dragged him into a dory and onto the plane. Reporters at the scene overheard her arguing with Stultz, but all agreed Amelia appeared firmly in control. At 11:15 a.m., after two unsuccessful attempts, Amelia decided to lighten their load even more. Byrd had suggested 830 gallons to reach England, but with a tailwind Stultz and Gordon agreed they could cross the Atlantic with 700 gallons and reach Ireland. On the second run with their lighter load, Amelia watched the air1-888-588-6353
speed indicator as it slowly climbed. “Thirty – forty – the Friendship was trying again,” she wrote in her log. “A long pause, then the pointer went to fifty. Fifty, fifty-five, sixty. We were off at last.” Finally, on June 17, 1928, the Friendship left Trepassey Harbour. Finally, Mike Jackman could send Amelia’s coded telegram to George Putnam. “Violet stop cheerio,” meant they were on their way. When Boll heard the Friendship had left, she was stunned. Her pilot had considered the weather report to be only fair and decided to wait for a better one. Boll claimed James Kimball had given them a different weather report than the Friendship received – something Kimball denied. The weather report had only been fair, but Amelia was the difference. On Boll’s plane, the pilot made the decisions. On the Friendship, that responsibility was Amelia’s. Twenty hours and 40 minutes after leaving Trepassey, Newfoundland, Amelia, Stultz and Gordon landed – not in Ireland, but in Burry Port, Wales. But Amelia wasn’t finished with Newfoundland yet. She had only been a passenger on this flight. Next time she wanted to fly the plane herself. Four years later, on May 20, 1932, she would be back in Harbour Grace to do just that. Tune in next month for the details of Amelia’s solo transatlantic flight from Harbour Grace. July 2018
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reminiscing reminiscing flashbacks
REMEMBERING THE REGIMENT As the 100th anniversary of the Great War’s end approaches, we share our readers’ connections to the heroes who fought – and often fell – for our freedom. Read on for the stories of four soldiers who served in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
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THIS IS THE STORY OF MY UNCLE, Simeon Lilly, for whom I am named. Much of what I’ve written here comes from his military records. His time in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment was marked with illness, injury and insubordination, and his death after the war is an enduring mystery. Simeon Lilly was born on September 7, 1900, in McCallum, Newfoundland. A few years later, his parents, Amelia and Hezekiah Lilly, moved their family to Bay d’Espoir. Simeon was 14 when the war broke out, and 16 when he decided to enlist. He lied about his age on his enrollment form, which recorded his age as 18 years and two months on November 17, 1916. On January 31, 1917, Simeon left Bay d’Espoir for St. John’s and boarded the SS Florizel bound for Windsor, Nova Scotia. In Nova Scotia, Simeon was issued his army kit: jacket, cardigan, trousers, puttees and kit bag. He began receiving a soldier’s salary of $200 a year, of which 50 cents per day was sent home to his sister Charlotte. Simeon’s early days as a young (underage) recruit were a bit rocky. According to his military record, on February 7, 1917, he received three days CB (Confined to Barracks) for using a firearm in the barracks. The day this sentence was lifted, he received another three days CB for creating a disturbance in the recreation room. In the following months he was confined for four days for going AWOL while on light duties, two days for unkempt attire on parade and two days for failing to show at 6 p.m. parade. 1-888-588-6353
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On June 11, 1917, Simeon sailed to Southampton, where he joined the 1st Battalion Newfoundland Regiment BEF (British Expeditionary Force) and travelled to Rouen, France. From there he advanced to the front line and entered battle. On July 2, 1917, Private Lilly fought in the field in Belgium. He spent 48 hours on the front line, followed by four days’ rest in Rear. Rest days included a ration pack per day. Simeon’s ration pack consisted of a tin of bully beef, hardtack, tea, Player’s cigarettes and a daily rum ration. Simeon spent two months on the field. Taken from an interview with a solider who fought in the same Royal Newfoundland Regiment, here is what he likely experienced. The first night the Regiment walked one mile through the trenches from a valley. They got lost and ended up where there were no trenches to walk. They found themselves within 30-35 feet of the Germans and came under attack. Those that survived the first night, including Simeon, crawled back into the trenches from where they came. The next morning, on September 15, the first tanks that roamed No Man’s Land came across the trenches. Once they blew the whistle, the soldiers began to help one another over the front line trench. There, the German artillery got a line on the trenches and began to attack. The soldiers ran 1,100 yards that morning and got to a place called Thiepval, where there was an old sugar factory partly intact. In this factory is where the men began to dig trenches for the night while the Germans fired overhead about two or three hundred 132
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yards behind them. The next record of Simeon was of his hospitalization. On August 26, 1917, he was admitted to the 64th Casualty Clearing Station with a fever of unknown origin. His condition worsened and three days later he was admitted to 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France. On September 14, a week after his 17th birthday, he was invalided to Wandsworth, England and on September 20, he was admitted to 3rd London General Hospital. A telegraph was sent to his mother, Amelia, in Newfoundland explaining her son’s condition. TROUBLED TEENAGER OR SCARED SOLDIER? After his release from hospital, Simeon’s insubordinate behaviour from his early recruitment days returned. Reportedly, a week after returning to barracks, Simeon snuck out of camp alone and walked to a nearby town and got drunk. He was issued seven days CB as punishment. On January 7, 1918, he received six days CB for inattention during parade and, almost immediately after, received 48 hours FP (Fire Picket) for insolence to a Non Commissioned Officer on parade. On February 4, 1918, Simeon was transferred back to the battlefield. Toward the end of March, he developed diphtheria and was admitted to 7th General Hospital at Saint-Omer for two weeks. Upon his return to the field, Simeon failed to comply with orders and was given seven days CB. Once the seven days passed, he stole rations and received 14 days of FP. In early June, Simeon ran away 1-888-588-6353
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and was absent until apprehended by French police. He received 14 days CB and lost a day’s pay. Several times in July, Simeon went AWOL for days at a time. In early August, he was back on the field, where shortly after he was apprehended by the Regimental Police and received CB for an unknown amount of time. While in CB, Simeon broke out of camp and remained hidden for three days. When found, he was punished with three more weeks in CB. Back in the field, Simeon developed appendicitis. On August 26, 1918, he was sent to 7th Stationary Hospital in Boulogne, France for 10 days. Late September 1918, the Battle of the Canal Du Nord and Cambria began; Simeon was there serving on the front line. On September 29, Private Lilly was admitted to 18th General Hospital in Dannes-Camiers with multiple gunshot wounds. He was shot in the arm and both legs without any bones shattered. He was rumoured to have been lying among the dead for days until rescue. He was in hospital for several weeks, but soon after he recovered, just as before, Simeon disappeared. When the war ended on November 11, 1918, Simeon was still missing somewhere in France. He was finally found and apprehended on November 19. He was brought to Hazeley Down Camp in Winchester, England, and given 10 days CB. He was also issued a jail sentence, a seven-day detention, and forfeited 23 days’ pay. In January 1919, when all soldiers were to remain at their post until their departure home, Simeon broke out of camp again. When caught a 1-888-588-6353
week later, he was confined to CB while he awaited Discharge On Account of Disability. THE HOMECOMING THAT NEVER CAME On January 30, he boarded the SS Corsican back to Newfoundland and arrived on February 7. His mother, who had remarried and was living in Conne River, received a telegraph that he was home. By March 28, Simeon had been officially discharged and his travel papers were stamped for his journey back to Bay d’Espoir. But he never arrived. Three years later, Simeon’s mother received a mysterious letter revealing the death of her lost son. It stated he had died the previous April and was buried in Baghdad, Mesopotamia. To this day no one knows why or how he died, or how he was reported in Newfoundland after the war but died in Baghdad. However, there have been rumours of his whereabouts. One is that Simeon didn’t want to live in Conne River with his mother and stayed on in St. John’s as a police officer, though there’s no satisfactory evidence of this. Another explanation is that the overwhelming experience of the war for such a young man may have left him haunted by fear and he suffered a mental breakdown, like so many other souls who had fought by his side. In this state of mind, one can only guess what Simeon might have done. On July 20, 1923, Simeon’s mother wrote to the militia, stating that she would like to receive her son’s Victory Medal and British War Medals in memory of his death. In her letter she wrote, “I hope he is better off.” July 2018
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THE FIRST SET of army records hooked me
like a sly conner around father’s wharf. They were the records of Private Andrew Shaw of Little Heart’s Ease, Newfoundland. While flicking through the 146 pages of his military file – containing letters, newspaper articles, payroll papers etc. – at The Rooms in St. John’s, I stopped on an image of a postcard message, penned by Pte. Shaw and sent from Hanover, Germany. It conveyed this handwritten note: Dear Sir, I am writing to see if you will be so well pleased to inform the red cross to sent [sic] me some parcels as soon as possible. I am wounded prisoner of war in Germany. I have been here going on four months and haven’t received know [sic] parcels yet. I am suffering very bad with my leg…
With that, I knew his story, and others like his, had to be told – if for no other reason than to remind us that wars should be avoided at all costs. SHAW’S JOURNEY Andrew enlisted on May 12, 1916, and embarked for overseas aboard SS Sicilian on July 21. From there he was assigned to British Expeditionary Forces and was actively involved on the front, where he was shot in the right leg at the Battle of Langemarck on August 13, 1917. After recovering, he returned to the battlefield on February 6, 1918, and for the next two months fought alongside his comrades to hold the defensive lines. The advancing German forces were determined to carry out a massive spring offensive against the Allied resistance on the Western Front, and records show that the Allies were overwhelmed. Approximately 150 soldiers went missing in action during that time. The Allies assumed they were killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Several military records indicate that Pte. Shaw was reported missing on April 12, 1918. Finally, two months later, some 1-888-588-6353
good news: a letter from Pte. Shaw, dated May 15, is received at the Newfoundland Contingent in London. In it, he requests clothes and supplies, and describes life in the German prison camp as being very wearing. Today, we can only imagine the mental torture of lying in a dirty, smelly prison camp, wearing shredded clothing, in excruciating pain from wounds and yearning for home. The Newfoundland Contingent replied to Pte. Shaw, explaining that parcels, containing clothing and bandages, were en route. The letter goes on to explain that the Newfoundland War Contingent Association has been advised that he is a prisoner and every attention is being given to food parcels. Pte. Shaw pens a second message, in the form of the postcard (transcribed near the beginning of this article) dated July 20, 1918, again to the Newfoundland Contingent, again pleading for supplies. Ten days later, at long last, Pte. Shaw receives two July 2018
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Andrew Shaw pictured in 1956 in St. John’s, and the Victory Medal he received for his brave service. Courtesy Mike Foley
parcels from the Red Cross, containing boots, braces, drawers, gloves, shirts, socks, vest, towels, handkerchief etc. Records indicate that, on August 31, the Chief Paymaster and Officer of the Newfoundland Contingent requested that the Secretary, War Office of Finsbury Court in London, make application for Pte. Shaw to be transferred to England. The response, received September 5, states that Shaw’s name will be placed on the list for recommendation to the Medical Commission, which examines prisoners of war for repatriation or transfer to a neutral country. However, on September 11, the Chief Paymaster and Officer of Records withdrew the request – for the best of reasons. At long last, Pte. Shaw had been released and was already resting at King George Hospital, England. With that, the young man’s ordeal as a wounded PoW was 136
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over – and the focus could finally shift to medical treatment for wounds sustained five agonizing months earlier. On May 22, 1919, SS Corsican returned Pte. Shaw to St. John’s, where he was demobilized. He purchased a ticket to Bay de Verde and visited with his sister before going home to Little Heart’s Ease. He married Mary Stanford of St. John’s on June 15, 1921, and had nine children. The family lived at 22 McKay Street, St. John’s. Andrew spent his final two years at St. Patrick’s Nursing Home on Elizabeth Avenue, also in the city. He passed away on April 10, 1976, and rests at Holy Sepulchre Roman Catholic Cemetery. Lester Green is a member of the Southwest Arm Historical Society. An avid researcher, he continues to search for the stories of the area’s brave servicemen. 1-888-588-6353
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Killed in Action BY DOUG WELLS
John Organ of Great Jervois, Hermitage Bay joined the Newfoundland Regiment on August 28, 1916, in St. John’s, a recruit of the 12th Draft. Wasting no time, his medical was carried out on the same day at the Church Lads Brigade Armoury.
The son of John and Margaret Organ (Strickland), and brother to David and Frances, young John was a small boy, 5 feet 4 1/4 inches tall and 119 lbs. He’d just turned 19 when he enlisted for the duration of the war, for a private soldier’s rate of $1.10 per day. Of that, he allotted 50 cents a day to go to his uncle, Matthew Bobbett, to take effect on November 1, 1916. On September 20, 1916, while still in St. John’s, Private Organ was reprimanded for two infractions: refusing to obey the orders of a sentry, and insolence towards the Sergeant of the Guard. His punishment was three days Confined to Barracks. That ordeal over, on January 31, 1917, Pte. Organ and around 320 others boarded the Florizel in St. John’s, bound for Halifax, where the detachment was sent to Windsor to be quarantined for measles and mumps. On April 18, Pte. Organ left Halifax on the Ausonia. From Liverpool, England he continued to Scotland for further training. In June 1917, Pte. Organ, part of the 25th Re-enforcement Draft, travelled to Rouen, France. There, he spent time training at the British 1-888-588-6353
Expeditionary Force Base Depot. The following day he left Rouen, and on July 2, 1917, he joined his unit at Passchendaele, and also took part in the Battle of Steenbeek on August 16. It was on September 23, 1917, while fighting north of the city of Ypres, Belgium, when Pte. Organ was wounded. Flying shrapnel left him with compound fractures to his right leg; he was evacuated to the British 87th Field Ambulance Hospital. That day, an extract of the Daily Orders by Lt.-Col. A.L. Hadow, states that Pte. Organ of A Company was wounded and possibly shell-shocked. He died later that day. Back home, Rev. Fr. Hawkins at Harbour Breton delivered the grim message to the family. Margaret received John’s personal kit bag in July 1918. And five long years after her son’s death, she received the balance of his estate: $50.47. Pte. John Organ (#3046) served for one year, 27 days, and was entitled to the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is buried in the Bleuet Farm British Cemetery, Northwest of Ypres. He is also commemorated on page 91 of the Newfoundland Book of Remembrance in Ottawa. July 2018
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Regimental
Runner BY GLORIA (HELLIER) BROWN
AS A BOY in Dildo, Newfoundland, Andrew Ralph Smith was known for his speed – often outperforming lads much older than himself in races and other physical activities. In 1915, at the Regimental Depot in Ayr, Scotland, this speed and agility held him in good stead. He was to be a runner for the Newfoundland Regiment. While there were telephones and telegraphs, cables between the front lines and headquarters were often destroyed. Communications, therefore, often depended on messages carried by runners. (When covering longer distances, they used bicycles.) Taking on the role meant quick dashes between trenches, through barbed wire, water and mud-filled holes, and across enemy terrain. The work required physical stamina, daring and cunning, as runners were favourite targets of enemy snipers and machine gun crews. Smaller men, therefore, were chosen to be runners; tall men made for bigger targets. It was a precarious role with a casualty rate second only to stretcher-bearers. Runners were well respected and perceived as trustworthy; after all, lives depended on them. 138
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Andrew Ralph Smith of Dildo, NL
They worked in pairs in case one was wounded or killed – and they were not to stop if the other was hit. Usually, they did not carry a rifle; instead, they were allowed a pistol and a knife. So that troops would recognize them in trenches and let them pass, they wore distinctive red bands (brassards) on their left arms. It’s well known that on October 14, 1918, during the Battle of Ledgehem in Belgium, Newfoundlander Tommy Ricketts won the highest military honour, the Victoria Cross. Lesser known is that during the same battle, Andrew and two other runners were awarded the Military Medal. Recording the actual deed is a letter in his military file. It reads, “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, on the 14th October 1918, during the advance from Ledgehem towards the Lys River, this man was acting as Company runner. During the whole of the day, he repeatedly carried messages from 1-888-588-6353
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Captain Herbert Rendell was killed in action in 1918
the front line to Battalion Headquarters and back over ground swept by machine gun fire and by snipers. On one occasion, when two runners had been sniped before they had gone 100 yards, Pte. Smith at once volunteered to take the message and get it back to Battalion Headquarters. Throughout the day he showed a complete disregard of danger.” But it was an event two weeks prior to this that likely left an even greater impression on Andrew. In torrential rain, the Regiment was holed up in muddy trenches under heavy machine gun fire. Andrew, who had just run a message, reported to his captain, Herbert Rendell, that there were snipers everywhere. Instinctively, the captain rose to the top of the trench to view the situation. Andrew protested, “I wouldn’t do that if I was you, sir,” but it was too late. Rendell was shot in the throat. It was reported on Sunday, September 29, 1918, at 1:25 p.m., that 29-yearold Captain Rendell, MC MID, was killed in action near Zonnebeke at 11 a.m. He died in Andrew’s arms. An eyewitness report from Second Lieutenant McHenry stated that 1-888-588-6353
Rendell died instantly; the officer commanding the 1st Battalion reported he lived two minutes. Traditionally, only officers’ names were recorded, so Andrew’s name or his accounting of the incident would not be used in the report. The death struck a chord with Andrew. Family and friends encouraged him to share his memories with Captain Rendell’s family, but he was reluctant to do so. Rendell’s parents were Dr. Herbert Sr. and Eliza (Clift) Rendell, a prominent St. John’s family who lived on Duckworth Street. Dr. Rendell was the first superintendent of the Sanatorium. They’d already lost their younger son, Second Lieutenant Clifford Rendell, who died as a result of wounds received at BeaumontHamel. His right leg required amputation, and there were hopes of a recovery. Cablegrams reveal that a Herbert and a Miss Mary Rendell were at his side in a French hospital. Clifford died of septicemia (blood poisoning) on July 22, 1916. He was 21 years old. At a ceremony in St. John’s on September 16, 1919, Andrew was listed as one of six to receive a Military Medal. Three were awarded posthumously, one of them to William P. King, a runner with Andrew at Ledgehem. Another was Captain Rendell. Dr. Rendell advised he was attending the ceremony, “that it would be my son’s wish that his [Military] Cross should be presented to his mother.” Were Andrew and Dr. Rendell at the investiture at the same time? In a letter dated September 12, 1919, Andrew, my grandfather, said he planned to attend. He would have made the connection. How did he feel? July 2018
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