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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
COOPER, Caleb - was born on March 8, 1890 to Jabez and Rachael Jane Avery. He enlisted in the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve at St. John's on February 8, 1912 at the age of 18 and was called to active service on August 4, 1914 after spending two years on the Calypso. Leaving November 14 aboard the H.M. S. Franconia, he landed in Liverpool and from there to Devonport. During the year of 1915 he served on H.M.S. AMBROSE and later on the 4 funnel cruiser H.M.S. SUTLEJ which carried him to action in British West Africa, along with Gibraltar and other Mediterranean missions. Mr. Cooper has sailed 500 miles across the equator, spending 21 days in the land of the Midnight Sun - Iceland where he and the other crew members were relieved by H.M.S. INDIA which was sunk shortly after by an Austrian submarine.
After spending this lengthy time at sea he was given a well earned leave arriving in St. John's June 24, 1917, He finally reached home on November 4 and sailed again on December 4 arriving in Halifax on the day of the explosion. He served here on H.M.C.S. GUELPH and CD-20. Finally on the 23rd of December he was discharged and returned to him home where he was later employed by the C.N.R. for 34 years. Two of his sons, Robert and Doug, served with the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit during WW2.
Caleb married Miriam Miller and raised his family at Queen's Cove. He passed away on Oct 27, 1981 and is buried at Queen's Cove, NL.
Ships served in: * Loaned to the RCN 10 Dec 1917 CD-20 - Served in CD-20 10 Dec 1917 - 30 Jun 1918 HMCS GUELPH (Patrols Depot ashore) - Served in Guelph 01 Jul 1918 - 21 Dec 1918 HMCS NIOBE (Depot Ship Halifax) - Served in Niobe 21 Dec 1918 - 25 Dec 1918 * Returned to the RN 25 Dec 1918
Research Credit: Lester Green, Southwest Arm Historical Society
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