HISTORY
MILITARY ACTIVITY
WW II
MILITARY ACTIVITY
WW II
BELL ISLAND WORLD WAR II VETERANS
GROUP PHOTOS
GROUP PHOTOS
Bell Island Men of Newfoundland’s 1st Draft of the Royal Navy’s DEEP SEA RESCUE TUG SERVICE in WWII
They sailed with convoys of merchant ships bringing vital supplies to Britain. Their role was to assist stricken vessels after they were damaged by enemy attacks. This was dangerous work requiring great skill to ensure that ships were brought to safe havens despite bad weather, the presence of U-boat submarines and enemy aircraft. Rescue tugs were largely manned by Merchant Navy crews under Royal Navy orders. From 1941, they were based at Campbeltown, Scotland. Nicknamed the “Campbeltown Navy,” they helped save over 3 million tons of Allied shipping, over 250 warships and hundreds of Allied seamen, mostly in the North Atlantic. 20 rescue tugs were lost on active service. (Info from liverpoolmuseums.org.)
Photo (below) and names courtesy of Wayne Blackmore, whose father, Malcolm (Mac/Blackie) Blackmore, served on HM Rescue Tug Storm King and others. BI=Bell Island, SJ=St. John’s, ?=unknown.
Back Row, L-R: 1. ?; 2. ?; 3. P. Dwyer, BI; 4. ?; 5. Tom Bartlett, BI; 6. Frank Stansbury, SJ; 7. ?; 8. George White, BI.
Middle Row, L-R: 1. - Strickland, SJ; 2. ?; 3. Ray Harney, BI & 4. Herb Harney, BI (son & father); 5. Mac Blackmore (Blackie), BI; 6. L. Warren (Docky), BI; 7. - Head, Grand Falls; 8. E. Humbert, Bay Roberts.
Front Row, L-R: 1. – Maher, SJ; 2. Gerald Hutchings (Hutch), BI; 3. Alec Martin, BI; 4. – Murphy, Ireland; 5. Vic Pittman, SJ; 6. H. (Herb?) Boone, BI; 7. Bob Vokey, BI; 8. Rev Parsons, BI.
They sailed with convoys of merchant ships bringing vital supplies to Britain. Their role was to assist stricken vessels after they were damaged by enemy attacks. This was dangerous work requiring great skill to ensure that ships were brought to safe havens despite bad weather, the presence of U-boat submarines and enemy aircraft. Rescue tugs were largely manned by Merchant Navy crews under Royal Navy orders. From 1941, they were based at Campbeltown, Scotland. Nicknamed the “Campbeltown Navy,” they helped save over 3 million tons of Allied shipping, over 250 warships and hundreds of Allied seamen, mostly in the North Atlantic. 20 rescue tugs were lost on active service. (Info from liverpoolmuseums.org.)
Photo (below) and names courtesy of Wayne Blackmore, whose father, Malcolm (Mac/Blackie) Blackmore, served on HM Rescue Tug Storm King and others. BI=Bell Island, SJ=St. John’s, ?=unknown.
Back Row, L-R: 1. ?; 2. ?; 3. P. Dwyer, BI; 4. ?; 5. Tom Bartlett, BI; 6. Frank Stansbury, SJ; 7. ?; 8. George White, BI.
Middle Row, L-R: 1. - Strickland, SJ; 2. ?; 3. Ray Harney, BI & 4. Herb Harney, BI (son & father); 5. Mac Blackmore (Blackie), BI; 6. L. Warren (Docky), BI; 7. - Head, Grand Falls; 8. E. Humbert, Bay Roberts.
Front Row, L-R: 1. – Maher, SJ; 2. Gerald Hutchings (Hutch), BI; 3. Alec Martin, BI; 4. – Murphy, Ireland; 5. Vic Pittman, SJ; 6. H. (Herb?) Boone, BI; 7. Bob Vokey, BI; 8. Rev Parsons, BI.
The photo below of the July 1954 Memorial Day Service is from the July 1954 Submarine Miner, p. 7.
Some of the men in the photo above are included in the photo below, which was provided by Marylyn Emberley, whose father, Peter Rees, is in the center of the front row below. The date is unknown, but possibly latter part of the 1950s. These men, as identified by Marylyn, are:
Back row, left to right: 1. ?Luffman?; 2. Gerald Tucker; 3. Michael Lawlor; 4.Ernest Miller; 5. Hubert French.
Front row, left to right: 1.Lloyd Rees; 2. Gerry [or Leo?] Galway Sr.; 3. Peter Rees; 4. Eldred Rees; 5. Gordon Tucker.
Back row, left to right: 1. ?Luffman?; 2. Gerald Tucker; 3. Michael Lawlor; 4.Ernest Miller; 5. Hubert French.
Front row, left to right: 1.Lloyd Rees; 2. Gerry [or Leo?] Galway Sr.; 3. Peter Rees; 4. Eldred Rees; 5. Gordon Tucker.
