Private Nathan Barrett
Regtimental # 5230
Royal Newfoundland Regiment
WW I

Private Nathan Barrett
Discharge Papers

John Barrett [Son of Nathan]
showing off the "new" Carl Gustaf
to General Gardiner.

Nathan Barrett was born November 1898. He enlisted in the Royal Newfoundland Regiment on May 20, 1918, a time when the war was almost over. He served in both France and Belgium during his time overseas as a Grenadier. His discharge date is listed as July 10, 1919 so he served for one year and 51 days.

Nathan lived in Bishops Cove early 1900s up until 1940s then relocated to St Johns.

After the war he went onto fishing, mining on Bell Island, operated a dredger in the gut at Quidi Vidi where he lost a finger from the machine and finally he became a carpenter and did that for the rest of his life, a trade he passed onto his son Nathan.

He married Lydia Smith, also from Bishops Cove and they had 4 boys, Nathan, Gus, Edward (Deceased) and John.

Nathan owned the first car in Bishops Cove. Nathan jr. still lives in the homestead at 371 Blackmarsh Road (Nathan sr. once owned all the land down to the Village Mall). Gus became an RCMP officer and worked in the Yukon where he met his wife Blanche. He then quit the RCMP because at the time he was not allowed to be married at this post and he became a sheriff in Dawson City (briefly) before working for the BC government.

John served the CF for 30 years in uniform (15 as a combat engineer, 15 as a cook) and then another 10 out of uniform. He recently retired to Victoria with, Regina, his wife of 52 years.

Edward, who was a much loved uncle died many years ago in a car accident out around the Bay.

Our family has a long history of service including myself (Army Signals), my brother Roland (Navy Signals), my sister Michelle (Comms Research, and my brother Steve (Reserve Lineman).

We also have a grandfather (Pte Jossef Poggel) who served as a Luftwaffe Air Defence Gunner on the Russian Front, was captured and escaped to return to his home town in Germany around 1946.

Nathan sr. passed away in 1983.