Small Towns of Canada - Bell Island, Newfoundland Labrador - Programme E-259

Format: LP
Label: Radio Canada CT-29747
Year: 1963
Origin: Canada
Genre: spoken word Documentary
Keyword: Canadiana, Small Towns of Canada, Newfoundland Labrador, Bell Island
Value of Original Title:
Make Inquiry/purchase: email ryder@robertwilliston.com
Release Type: Albums
Websites: No
Playlist: The Small Towns of Canada

Tracks

		Track Name	Length
	1	Bell Island Newfoundland Labrador	14:19

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	2	Phonse Hawco Report	01:38

Photos

Unidentified miners at Bell Island, post-1895. Canada imported iron ore from the Bell Island mines for the manufacture of weapons and ammunition during the First World War.

Scotia Pier after Torpedo Attack, 1942. Bell Island’s Scotia Pier was damaged in November 1942 following a torpedo attack from German submarine U-518.

Rose Castle, 1942. The Rose Castle, shown here in September 1942, was sunk two months later by German submarine U-518.

Mining on Bell Island began in the summer of 1895.

Bell Island, Newfoundland Labrador - Programme E-259

Videos

No Video

Information/Write-up

Bell Island is one of the few locations in North America that German forces directly attacked during the Second World War. U-boats raided the island twice in 1942, sinking four ore carriers and killing more than 60 men. The events highlighted how potentially vulnerable Newfoundland was to enemy attack, and it is perhaps not surprising that Canadian authorities developed secret plans to burn St. John’s to the ground should the Germans try to occupy the city.

Newfoundland lay across the vital trans-Atlantic convoy routes that supported the Allied war effort. Allied ships navigated these paths to bring vital supplies to Britain, but were often attacked by roving packs of German U-boats. Certain areas were more prone to attack than others and these were designated “Dangerous Waters.” Newfoundland was surrounded by such waters and this was made more than apparent on September 5, 1942 when a U-boat sank the SS Lord Strathcona and SS Saganaga off Bell Island.

I was really impressed with CBC Radio Canada producing a series of short documentaries entitled "The Small Towns of Canada". I was especially impressed with #7 on the list Small Towns of Canada......Bell Island, Newfoundland & Labrador. My Father Phonse Hawco gave a short report on the 3 ore carriers sunk during WW2. Would it be possible to buy just his voice report? Phonse's family would sure appreciate it if we could buy his voice report.

Thank You
Helena Hawco Highmore (Phonse's daughter)

Thanks Helena, I have added this special track of your father's report available for all to download.
-Robert Williston

Hi Robert:

I can't thank you enough for uploading the track for me & my family. My Father is being inducted in the Newfoundland & Labrador Athletic Sports Hall Of Fame Track & Field on July 14, 2011, his children, grandchildren . great grandchildren, nieces, nephews & friends will be in Newfoundland to honor him on this special occasion. After the induction the family is meeting at a niece's house & we will show a video with pictures of my Father's life & now thanks to you I can add this track to the video. We just can't believe we found your site with this information.

Phonse's family Thanks you again.

God Bless you.
Helena

Mr. Williston

And good day to you from Bell Island!

Thank you for sending us the great link. Very interesting indeed including then-Mayor Templeman's look ahead. This period was just a few years before the mines closed for good. I have posted it on our Belle of the Bay Inn Facebook and Twitter pages as well as passing it along to some of the community leadership, including the Mayor and the Miner's Museum.

Cheers

Max Harvey
Innkeeper
Belle of the Bay Inn
Bell Island, NL A0A 4H0
www.belleofthebayinn.ca

Great job,

How cool.
Thanks for getting this to caring ears.

Joseph Donkers
Chair, Tourism Bell Island
(709) 728-5639

Comments

No Comments