Ferryland District Military
World War I

Donated by Kevin Reddigan

With the start of World War I in the summer of 1914, Newfoundland, as part of the British Empire, was expected to do its part. However, after nearly a century of peace, Newfoundland had no military infrastructure, except for a branch of the Royal Naval Reserve. So in August 1914, following an official commitment to join the war, hasty preparations were made to recruit, train, and equip a fighting force scheduled to leave Newfoundland in October of that year. It appears that St. John's, being the most populous town and the hub of the war effort, provided the majority of the first recruits, mainly from the ranks of several church-sponsored (paramilitary) cadet corps. However, as the "war fever" gained momentum, and organization improved, more and more men from the outports were selected for the forces. The majority of available recruits were selected to serve in a land force, the (later Royal) Newfoundland Regiment, with lesser numbers selected for the Royal Naval Reserve and the Newfoundland Forestry Corps. Other Newfoundland recruits working in Canada, opting not to return home, joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF).

Within this great flurry, it appears there were very few voices of opposition to Newfoundland joining the war effort. However, from those districts that were predominately of Irish Roman Catholic origin, and still served by Irish born priests, there were rumours of an anti-war sentiment being vocalized by some clergy. Ferryland District was one such area. I have read that Father Lawrence Vereker, the Irish parish priest of Ferryland, was approached on this issue. After being briefed on current world events, it is said he conceded that, if the atrocities as outlined had been committed by the Germans, than it would be better to support the British. This was a troubled decade in Ireland, and it is likely that the retribution dealt those involved in the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin further served to raise questions in the minds of some of the Newfoundland Irish.

Although we can speculate that there may have been some soul searching, it is hard to gauge if any of this anti-British rhetoric dampened the enthusiasm of those intending to join the military. Ferryland District, although culturally regarded as being Irish, when looked at closely under the "genealogical microscope" is actually populated by descendants of settlers from Ireland, England, and Scotland. The lists (below) from Ferryland District reflect this mixture; the recruits being a cross-section of men from various ethnic origins, social standings, and religious affiliations.