The
Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve was a
military reserve forceA military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
founded in 1902 in what was then the Colony of Newfoundland, a part of the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. A steam and sail powered training ship,
HMS CalypsoHMS Calypso was a third class cruiser of the Royal Navy and the name ship of her class. Built for distant cruising in the heyday of the British Empire, she served as a warship and training vessel until 1922, when she was sold....
, was provided by
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
. The reserve had 375 members by late 1903 and then between five and six hundred reservists until the start of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, growing to over 1000 in 1915. 1,964 Newfoundlanders served with the Naval Reserve in World War I, suffering 180 fatalities.
The
Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve was a
military reserve forceA military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
founded in 1902 in what was then the Colony of Newfoundland, a part of the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
. A steam and sail powered training ship,
HMS CalypsoHMS Calypso was a third class cruiser of the Royal Navy and the name ship of her class. Built for distant cruising in the heyday of the British Empire, she served as a warship and training vessel until 1922, when she was sold....
, was provided by
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
. The reserve had 375 members by late 1903 and then between five and six hundred reservists until the start of
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
, growing to over 1000 in 1915. 1,964 Newfoundlanders served with the Naval Reserve in World War I, suffering 180 fatalities. The Reserve disbanded in 1920-1921.
Calypso, having been renamed HMS
Briton, was sold as a storage hulk and was burned for salvage near
Lewisporte, Newfoundland and LabradorLewisporte is a town in central Newfoundland, Canada, with a population of 3,312. It is situated in a bay close to the mouth of the Exploits River. Lewisporte has an excellent port and related facilities that serve the many communities along Notre Dame Bay. Gander and its international airport...
.
Establishment of the Reserve
The Naval Reserve was established in 1902 with the government paying for the expenses of men who came to
St. John'sSt. John's is the provincial capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. St...
for 28 days of training on board HMS
Calypso. The vessel was to have been berthed at Argentia, but
Sir Cavendish BoyleSir Charles Cavendish Boyle, KCMG was a British colonial administrator. He joined the British Colonial Office and was made magistrate in the Leeward Islands in 1879. He served as Colonial Secretary in Bermuda from 1882 to 1888 and in Gibraltar from 1888 to 1894 and was granted a knighthood for his...
, the governor, suggested that most people, crew and citizens alike, would appreciate having the ship docked in St. John's. After their training, the men were to be available for service for five years. Similar Reserves were formed in other countries and colonies of the British Empire.
Contributions during World War I
When World War 1 began
Walter Edward DavidsonSir Walter Edward Davidson, KCMG, CBE, KStJ was a colonial governor.After being educated at Magdalen College School, Oxford, Davidson graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge. In 1880 Davidson was sent to Ceylon and held several positions including chairman of the municipal council and Mayor of...
, the governor of Newfoundland, committed to increasing the Reserve to 1000 men, and to do so relaxed some of the age and health requirements for joining. In less than a year that number was exceeded. Unlike the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, which served as an intact unit, the men of the Naval Reserve were dispersed throughout the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
. A list of those who served with the Naval Reserve between 1914 and 1918 is available on-line. The members of the Naval Reserve are represented by a sailor holding a spyglass on the west wing of the Newfoundland National War Memorial in St. John's. Members of the Reserve who died during the war are honoured at the
Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland MemorialThe Beaumont-Hamel Newfoundland Memorial is a memorial site in France dedicated to the commemoration of Dominion of Newfoundland forces members who were killed during World War I...
in France. Sir Winston Churchill remarked that the Newfoundlanders were "the best small boat men in the world".