Category: RCNVR

WW1 Letters Home - Jan 14, 1917

1/14/2017

Presbyterian Church and Manse, Chatham. Published in The Building News Volume 75, July - Dec 1898

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 29 yrs old
Dated: Jan 14/17
Mailed from: Chatham, England
Attached to: HMS Pembroke
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument: Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: 10" x 6.5" medium weight, semi-rough, folded into booklet form, but with the inside page written across the short width and all the way down the length like foolscap. The pages are not numbered.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper
Mother - Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell* Draper, widow of David Draper
Percy* - Noah's older brother, lives near Adams, Saskatchewan
Louie* - Sarah Louisa, Noah's sister, 37, married Fred Coventry, Kelowna
Eva* - Eva Amelia Draper Perrault, 40 yrs (Noah's sister, married to Joe)
Ethel* - Noah's sister, Ethel Maud, 35 yrs, married to Will Rigler
Will* - Will Rigler, husband of Ethel Maud, lives at Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mr. Butts - 60 yr old John Butts is Noah & Ethel's lodger/hired man**
Charlie - unknown at this time

The babies:
- Mildred* aka Midge, 3 yrs old
- James David* aka Jay, 6 months (later called JD)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Noah's family lives (the ones who didn't move west)
- Halifax - historic, protected harbor on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia
- Chatham - Royal Naval Barracks in Chatham, England
- hut - Noah's barracks at HMS Pembroke
- English Church - St George's Church of England, HMS Pembroke
- Presbyterian Church - St Andrew's Presbyterian in Chatham**

Word or Phrase Use:
ect. - Noah spells the abbreviation for the Latin phrase of et cetera as ect whereas modern dictionaries say it should be spelled as etc. because it means "and all the rest" or "and so on and so forth". However, I've noticed that many seniors members of our society, as well as those on the other side of the pond, both in Great Britain and in Europe, spell it as ect. like Noah does.

Noah always spells the following as:
- no apostrophe for contractions - dont, wont, isnt, havent...
- Saturaday vs Saturday
- untill vs until

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

Chatham England, Jan. 14/17

Mrs. N.C. Draper,
   Keswick, Ont.-

Dear Wife; -
   Well Ethel I hope you are all well
as this leaves me at present save
for a cold which is getting better.
   We are still at drill & am getting
a little better every day, (there is
room for improvement yet) We
will be in a seaman's class
soon I expect, where we will learn
to tie knots & ect. dont know
hardly what all,
   Well I was down to the Presby
terian church this morning
it is about a mile & a half from
the barracks, & when I got back
the dinner was all gone, so I

think I will belong to the English church
after this, it is only 5 minutes walk from
the hut, hope you have received your
anchor before this I think I will be able
to get out next Saturaday after noon if
I can I will get some thing for the kiddies.
Have not got any mail since I left
Halifax & may not get any for two weeks
yet but am looking every day for aletter
I have written to Mother, Percy, Louie, Eva,
Ethel, & Mr. Butts, havent I done well.
I was down town Friday night from
4 30 P.M. untill 7 30 have not been to a show
since I landed but think I will try
to go next week, I am trying to do as I
would have one in my position do, goody boy, Eh.
Well we had snow here one night last
week about 1 inch but it was all gone
by night, we have rain nearly every
other day. Oh say I got my pay a week
ago Friday. 54 Shilling that was from the
time we left Halifax & last Friday I
got 1 weeks pay 7 shilling or $1.68 cents
of our money, will soon be rich Ha Ha.
suppose you have had your pay
before this $38 you get isnt it. never mind
I have about 12 pound yet that I brought
with me have $18. Canadian money yet
will get it changed when I get to London
but do not know when that will be.

I hope you have the money for the
hail insurance before this, dont
forget to tell me all about it. &
wheather that man paid his note
which I left in the Bank for
collection, also that from Will.
Well Ethel I miss my pitcher of
milk have not had a drink since
I left Halifax but tonight is my
night out & I am going to try &
get some, HaHa. I am going out
after tea & think I will go to
Church after supper. I was going
to write to Charlie this after noon
but this is the last of my paper
so will have to write later,
Well I guess this will be all
for this time hoping to hear
from you soon I remain your ever
loving husband. N.C. Draper

History Notes

This is the same map as the last post showing Rochester Castle on the River Medway, as well as HMS Pembroke where Noah is quartered.

I've added a label near HMS Pembroke to show the location of St George's Church of England which Noah refers to as the English Church.

I've added another label to show the location of the Presbyterian Church, 1 1/2 miles southwest of Noah's location. You can see why there wasn't any food left by the time Noah hoofed it back.

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 29, 1916

12/29/2016

Sinking of the Linda Blanche out of Liverpool, 1915, Painting by Willy Stower (1864-1931). Courtesy of wikipedia

My previous post showed a map with Noah Draper's presumed route to Chatham, England, according to his letter of Dec 19, 1916 where he wrote that he was headed overseas. Since I read his letters beforehand, I knew he wasn't going straight there, but I didn't want to give out information before Noah himself told us. This letter, dated Dec 29, explains how he arrived in Chatham. Read the History Notes under his letter below for an explanation of how the above image relates to his journey.

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 29 yrs old
Dated: Dec. 29, 1916
Mailed from: Chatham, England
Attached to: HMS Pembroke (21 Dec 1916 to 31 Dec 1916)
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument: Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: 10" x 6.5" medium weight, semi-rough, folded into booklet form. Noah hasn't numbered the pages, but he's using the same technique he used for most of his previously posted courtship letters to Ethel, where his first page is the outside, then he's opened it and written on the right side, then moved over to the left side and written there, and finally, he's closed it and written on the back. For clarity, I'm posting the pages in the order they were meant to be read.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper
Percy* - Noah's older brother, lives near Adams, Saskatchewan
mother - Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell* Draper, widow of David Draper

The babies:
- Mildred* aka Midge, 3 yrs old
- James David* aka Jay, 6 months old (later called JD)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Noah's family lives (the ones who didn't move west)
- Liverpool** - a huge busy port on the River Mersey (**see map below)
- London** - on the River Thames, the capital of England, and the U.K.
- Royal Naval Barracks Chatham - aka HMS Pembroke
- the N.P. - Naval Police (see Naval Police and Shore Patrol)
- whiffletree and tandem hitches (**see Historical Note #2 below)
- hut - barrack building

Word or Phrase Use:
car - short for street car
navel barracks - Noah's spelling should read naval barracks

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see History Notes below

Chatham, England
Dec.29. 1916

Mrs. N. C. Draper,
Keswick, Ont.
My Dear Wife & all; -
Well I have arrived here
all safe & sound and right
side up & am fealing fine
got here last night after
midnight .left Liverpool about
2 P.M. but could not see much
of the country as it gets dark
about 4 P.M. here now. had
a fine trip over no rough
weather at all they said
although I was sick 1 day

but enjoyed the trip very much.
Say I wrote a long letter
on board (3 pages) but the
N. P. told me it was held up
as I was giving information
which I had no right to
give, but I dont know what
it was so will have to be
careful I guess the letters are
censured from Canada to
so private news is not
private.
Al that came over here
with me are quartered in
one hut. about 50. and we are
quite comfortable. there is
two long tables & three is told
off for cooks for each day I

am cook to day.
Well I have not been out
in the city yet so can not
tell you much about the
place but you never see
a team hitched up as we
hitch them they are all
driven tandem or else
the tugs are hitched right
onto the frame of the tongue
no whiffletrees. but they
draw big loads, of course the
roads here are all good nearly
as good as our paved streets.
Had supper in London last
night was there about 45 min.
but just took the street car

from one station to the other
so did not see much (only Lady
guards) they take the railway
tickets before you get on the car
here & it saves a lot of trouble.
Well I want to write to
Percy & Mother so will have have
to close soon in order to
get my address on this page
it is N.C Draper.
Hut 16 East Camp
Royal Navel Barracks, Chatham,
England.
Will try & send some little presents
next week if the stores are open
when I am out on leave, get out
every other night I guess. Well.
this is all for now. Write soon, love to
you and the kiddies. N.C. Draper

History Notes

There are 2 History notes for this letter...

History Note 1 - Port of Liverpool
In this letter, Noah mentions that he disembarked at Liverpool and left there shortly after 2 pm, crossed the country, stopped in London for supper, and arrived in Chatham after midnight. Historical references mention Troop trains crossing England. I've also found reference to boat trains carrying troops. Boat trains are dedicated trains carrying passengers from a particular place to/from a port.

However, there was one major hurdle before arriving in Liverpool: In February 1914, Germany had announced that the waters surrounding Great Britain and Ireland, including the English Channel, and the western portion of the North Sea, was a war zone and any ships, be it British, neutral, or merchant, would be fired on and destroyed without warning.

Germany wasn't fooling. In the seven-month period between March and September of 1916, 480 vessels were sunk by German U-boats in that area alone. In case you're wondering, a U-boat stands for undersea boat aka submarine. And that's where the image at the top of this post comes in... you never knew where the U-boats were hiding or if the ship you were traveling on would get fired on by torpedoes. We must never forget the brave captains, sailors, troops, and even passengers who risked everything by running the U-boat gauntlet, and to the ones who lost their lives along the way.

Whatever ship Noah sailed on to get to Liverpool, he would have had to go through U-boat territory, yet he doesn't give Ethel any inkling of the danger.

Upon disembarkation in Liverpool, it seems most troop ships used the Riverside Railway Station to send the troops on their way, and although I couldn't confirm this is the dock where Noah disembarked, considering that I don't know what ship he sailed on, the following shows the station as it appeared around 1914.

ca 1914, Riverside Station and Princes Landing Stage, Liverpool, England

The Port of Liverpool's 7.5 mile/12.1 kilometre dock system is mostly on the eastern shore of the River Mersey, but also contains docks on the west side of the river. See wikipedia for detailed 1909 maps of the dock system.

History Note 2 - Whiffletrees

In this letter, Noah mentions that the British don't use wiffletrees, so here's the definition of a whiffletree and it's other name variants.

Wiffletree, whippletree, swingletree

Four-hitch with a set of whiffletrees. Courtesy of wikipedia

He goes on to say that instead of using a single or set of whiffletrees as pictured above, the British hitch their horses in tandem or right onto the frame of the tongue. Tugs and traces are also regional name variants as you can see by the following diagram.

Harness Diagram. Courtesy of wikipedia

To end this post, here's an image of two ponies being driven in tandem, much as you would see two riders on a tandem bicycle. I wonder if this is what Noah meant.

Ponies Driving in Tandem. Courtesy of Wikipedia

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916

12/19/2016

WW1 Troop Movements of RCNVR from Canada to England, December 1916. Map outline courtesy of macmillanlearning.com

Today's letter was written on the verge of Noah Draper's journey to Chatham, England after being attached to HMCS Niobe for 3 weeks while awaiting orders to go overseas. The route I've drawn is direct from Halifax to Chatham as per Noah's letter here.

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 29 yrs old
Dated: Dec. 19, 1916
Mailed from: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Attached to: HMCS Niobe
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument: Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: 10" x 6.5" medium weight, semi-rough, folded into booklet form. Noah hasn't numbered the pages, but he's using the same technique he used for most of his previously posted courtship letters to Ethel, where his first page is the outside, then he's opened it and written on the right side, then moved over to the left side and written there, and finally, he's closed it and written on the back. For clarity, I'm posting the pages in the order they were meant to be read.

People mentioned in this letter:
Ethel* - Noah's wife of 5 yrs, Ethel Isabel Nelson Draper
Percy* - Noah's older brother, lives near Adams, Saskatchewan
Sadie* - Ethel's sister, Sadie Nelson Prosser, 21, Grandview Farm, Belhaven, Ont
Cecil* - Sadie's husband, Cecil Prosser, 24, farmer, Grandview Farm, Belhaven
mother - Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell* Draper, widow of David Draper
Louie* Coventry - Noah's sister, Sarah Louisa Draper Coventry, 37, lives in Kelowna

The babies:
- Mildred* aka Midge, 3 yrs old
- James David* aka Jay, 6 months (later called JD)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Keswick - where Noah's family lives (the ones who didn't move west)
- Halifax - historic, protected harbor on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia
- Regina - in Saskatchewan, closest city to Noah's farm at Adams
- Kelowna - city in British Columbia where Noah's sister, "Louie" Coventry, lives
- England - a country in the United Kingdom
- Chatam/Chatham - Royal Naval Barracks in Chatham, England
- London - London, England
- the Thames - the Thames River runs west from coast, past London
- The Olimpic - HMT Olympic* - Dec 13, 1916 post

- quarenteen - under quarantine**
- proofs - photographs

Word or Phrase Use:

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see Genealogy Notes below

Halifax, Dec. 19/16.

Mrs. N. C. Draper,
Keswick, Ont.

Dear Ethel;-
Well I am told off in
a draft for Chatam and we
expect to leave to night or
tomorrow morning but
do not know for shure our
leave is stoped & we have
been ordered to be ready
to leave at a moments notice
so am writing to night
for we have no time
after we are told to get

ready I wrote a card to one
fellows sister in Regina
for him after he left telling
her he had gone but he
is still in Harbour on the
Olimpic I heard she is in
quarenteen but do not
know for shure.
Well there is to much
excitement on board to
write much so you will
have to excuse me if I
write down something
they are saying and it would
shock a deaf man. HaHa.
Well Ethel I dont know

what money you mean for
Percy to send down but if
it was for that life insurance
I dont think I would pay it.
Say tell Sadie I started
to write her that letter she
spokeabout Sunday, but my
pen went dry so I did'nt
finish it but will try &
do so in old England if
Cecil does'nt object. Ha Ha.
Chatham is about 24 miles
from London on the Thames
I guess so will see part of the
old historic river any way.

Well I guess I will have
to close as we have to fall
in on deck in a minute
so you write to mother
at Kelowna and tell her I
did not have a chance after
I found out. I sent her a card
yesteraday. Say Ethel if
them proofs are better than
the ones you sent they must
be good.
Well I guess this will be
the last letter for a couple
of weeks but will write whenever
possible. so good bye Oceans of love
to you and the kiddies. N. C. Draper

Genealogy Notes

In Noah's last letter dated Dec 13th, he mentioned that the RMS Olympic had left Halifax. Apparently one of the men didn't have time to write his wife that he was heading overseas, so Noah did it for him...and then Noah discovered that she, the ship, was still in the bay under quarantine. Why?

I did some digging and although this isn't definitive, I found a possible reason in the book, RMS Olympic: Titanic's Sister, by Mark Chirnside.

The Olympic's surgeon hadn't been aware that one of the crewmates was found suffering from venereal disease. When it was discovered, the man left the ship. The director of transports then advised stricter inspections to avoid putting the onboard troops at risk.

According to the book, one young soldier said the Olympic pulled away from the dock on the day after 15 December 1916, and anchored in the bay. There, they took on more troops and provisions. Then came 2 days of laying about, sleeping in hammocks, and eating in what used to be the Olympic's sun parlor, except it was now closed off to outside light.

I suspect the medical examinations were being carried out at this time.

Noah's letter was written on Dec 19th, where he confirms the Olympic was still in the bay.

The book continues with, "Olympic left Halifax...at 4.41 pm on 20 December 1916, drawing 34ft 9in, and she arrived in Liverpool six days later..."

And speaking of the RMS Olympic, here's a diagram that explains the reasoning behind the dazzle paint camouflage shown in my Dec 13 post. I found it on the article Whatever Happened to Olympic, Titanic's Sister? written by Jason Ponic, at Owlcation.

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 6, 1916

12/4/2016

HMCS Niobe in Halifax after conversion to Depot Ship Source: ReadyAyeReady.com

Noah Clement Draper and his wife, Ethel Isabell Nelson, lived on a farm at Adams, Saskatchewan, but were known to leave the cold prairie winters and spend the off-season with their families in North Gwillimbury Township, York County, Ontario.

So when Noah joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in Toronto, we know Ethel and the kids are either with her parents near Belhaven, or his relatives in the Keswick area, which must have eased his mind somewhat.

This first letter is dated two weeks after Noah joined the RCNVR so we're right there at the start of his journey. The letters will all follow a similar format with the information first, then one page of the actual letter, my transcription of that page, the next actual page, and so on. This enables those who cannot read handwriting to know what is written. Please remember that my transcription will follow exactly as I read what Noah has written, spelling errors, included, and that way we keep the integrity of his writing.

Author of Letter: Noah C Draper, 29 yrs old
Dated: Dec 6/16
Mailed from: Halifax, N.S.
Attached to: HMCS Niobe
Profession: Farmer, Temporary Sailor
Addressed to: Mrs. N.C. Draper, Keswick, Ont.
Relationship: Wife
Writing instrument: Fountain Pen with Black Ink
Writing Paper: Thick, rough standard notepaper of the period. The 10" x 6.5" paper is folded in half and written in booklet form but with the inside page written across the short width and all the way down the length like foolscap. The pages are not numbered.

People (friends and family) mentioned in this letter:
The babies:
- Mildred aka Midge, 3 yrs old
- James David aka Jay, 6 months (also called JD)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Halifax - historic, protected harbor on the eastern shore of Nova Scotia
- Niobe - HMCS Niobe - a **Depot ship stationed in Halifax
- Petty Officer - Holding a rank below an officer, but above an enlisted sailor

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing, or use the search box in the header at the top of this page
** see Genealogy Notes below

Halifax, N.S. Dec. 6/16

Mrs. N.C. Draper,
Keswick, Ont.
Dear Ethel,
Well I have got this far
on the way but do not know
when we will go on, was
on the Niobe for tea they
have five meals a day here.
breakfast. tea Dinner tea &
supper at 6 don't know what
time we get the other
meals, We arrived here about
3.30 p.m. was met at the
station by a Petty Officer

and taken right on board the
ship and given our hammocks
and showed our place to put
them & then taken to the mess
room & showed our tables there
is 22 at a table so you see we
are not lonely.
There is a draft of 50 men
going over seas Friday but
do not expect we will be among
the number as there is about 75
or a hundred men ahead of us
but I hope so as they do not do
any training here at all and I
do not like to lay around on
the boat doing nothing. the boys
I came with seem very nice
and I hope were sent over
to geather. had to laugh at a
jew they had us lined up at
attention & asked if we wanted
to ask any questions (on the ship)

& we had been there about five
minutes when he walked
up to the officer & said he
was sick & wanted to vomit
he will make a great sailor
eh.
Well Ethel I have not much
to tell you but hope to
be able to write longer
letters after a while after
I see something. Kiss the
babies for me every day &
I wish it were possible to do
it my self. Good bye for this
time from your loving husband. N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

Built in 1897, the Royal Canadian Navy acquired the HMCS Niobe from the Royal Navy in 1910 and made its home in Halifax Harbor.

HMCS Niobe at Anchor, Halifax, N.S., 1910. Courtesy of www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca

The Niobe was almost lost during the night of July 30-31, 1911 when it ran aground off Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. The damage was extensive and although repairs were completed at the end of 1912, her maximum speed had been permanently reduced.

With the start of World War 1, the Niobe joined the Royal Navy's 4th Cruiser Squadron on contraband patrol off the coast of New York.

17 July 1915 saw the Niobe return to Halifax where she was converted into the Depot ship you see at the top of this post.

On 6 December 1917, exactly one year after Noah wrote the above letter, the upper works of HMCS Niobe was wrecked in the horrific Halifax Explosion. Repaired, she continued to serve until decommissioning in 1920.

Sources:
- ReadyAyeReady.com
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Niobe_(1897) (includes links to more)
- http://www.navy-marine.forces.gc.ca/en/news-operations/news-view.page?doc=niobe-day/i0vikji8

Update: Thanks going out to Noah's grandson, John W. Draper, for this link... On December 4, 2016 The Chronicle Herald published the article, Blast a Fiery Baptism for Navy Town. The article highlights Tues, December 6, 2016 as the 99th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion and includes links to more informative articles. Also included in the article is an image of the Niobe with this caption, The HMCS Niobe was heavily damaged in the Halifax Explosion, and 26 crew members were killed. The force of the explosion was enough to dislodge the ship’s anchor from the floor of the harbour. (Naval Museum of Halifax).

Noah Draper's WW1 Naval Uniform

11/6/2016

After a year without posting, we're getting back into the family history of Noah Clement Draper and Ethel Isabel Nelson. You can find their courtship letters here, or by clicking on the link for Genealogy Posts Index in the right column, or by using the Blogs menu and then clicking on Genealogy Posts Index.

Noah Clement Draper joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) on Nov 25, 1916 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Because the Canadian Navy was in its infancy, Noah served on British ships which lent confusion when figuring out his uniform. I am indebted to the Canadian Military Police Virtual Museum at mpmuseum.org for their very informative website. Through their use of images and text, we have a very good idea of what Noah wore on different occasions.

One of the problems I encountered while researching Noah's uniform was defining whether he enlisted in the RCNVR or RNCVR. Noah's Service Certificate shows that he joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR), but his records, as well as ships' logs, show he served on Royal Navy ships as a member of the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR) (circled below in red) which was active from May 1914 until 1920.

Portion of Noah Clement Draper's 1916 Service Certificate for RCNVR/RNCVR

I believe the following image was taken upon Noah's enrollment since it was the last time he saw his family until he was discharged on Mar 25, 1919.

Two things I'd like to point out on Noah's uniform are:

1. His cap ribbon has the inscription "R.N.C.V.R (crown) CENTRAL". (Options were PACIFIC and ATLANTIC)

2. The 3 wavy tapes on his denim collar signify him as a member of the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve. (Royal Navy members wore straight tapes.)

Noah Clement Draper (29), Ethel Isabel Nelson-Draper (26), Mildred aka Midge Draper (3), and Jay aka J.D. Draper (7 months). Probably taken Nov 25, 1916 in Toronto, Ontario

According to information provided on the mpmuseum.org site, Noah's uniform is a Class II Uniform "Square Rig" which consisted of a blue serge top called a jumper, bell bottom pants, and a navy flat cap, much like the Royal Navy uniform.

There's a very good chance that the following photograph is the one Noah mentions in his letter of February 26, 1917 while the H.M.S. Bacchante is in dry dock. In that letter which I'll post in good order according to sequence, Noah says, "I was over to Liverpool last night and had my photo taken am to get them tomorrow night am sending one in this letter I had taken in Chatham."

With the information obtained at mpmuseum.org, I've made notes on his photo to show the particulars of this uniform. Note the straight tapes on his collar this time, and yet it's only been a couple months since enrollment and his rank hasn't changed.

Feb 1917 - Ordinary Seaman Noah C. Draper, RNCVR

To further confuse us, we have the photo on the right which has been cropped from one that Noah had taken while touring England on one of his shore leaves.

Two things to note in this pic of Noah is that his:
- cap tally shows RCNVR
- collar tapes are wavy

I believe this photograph was sent home with his letter of Mar 10, 1918, because he mentioned having a photograph taken while standing in front of Bruce's Castle. In the same letter, he enclosed an ivy leaf which we still have.

I haven't been able to define the difference between RCNVR and RNCVR. Was it simply a designation that changed according to his ship?

Noah was also issued with Dress No. 6 for hot climates. This was a duck working uniform consisting of a jumper with blue RNCVR collar, silk handerchief, and knife lanyard. Headwear was the Sennet hat made of the straw-like sennet fiber.

Noah C. Draper, RCNVR 1916-1919

Since this week marks the observance of all those who served and especially those who lost their lives so that we can enjoy freedom, I thought it prudent to add Noah's memorial to this post as it shows the designation of his service.

Noah Clement Draper is buried in the ABRAY Field of Honour in Vancouver's Mountain View Cemetery in British Columbia. The photo was taken by his great-granddaughter, Crystal Anne Draper.

Memorial to Noah C. Draper, RCNVR, located in Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver. Photo Credit: Crystal Anne Draper

On the 25th of November, it will be 100 yrs to the day that Noah C. Draper enrolled as a volunteer in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve.

Nelson and I would like to honour his service by posting the letters he sent home to Ethel and his family. The letters are filled with as much information as the censors allow and show a remarkable life as a sailor connected with the British Navy.

My research has led to the actual ship's log which shows exactly where he was during his tour of duty - places he wasn't allowed to divulge 100 years ago when the wrong word could have given away his location and left his shift open to attack. Or worse.

Although I don't have the letters Ethel sent to Noah, we can see how she fared in the way he addresses her concerns and tries to advise from so far away.

Join us as we travel once again back in time, experiencing it through the eyes of Nelson's grandfather, Noah Clement Draper.

Note: Detailed descriptions of all the uniforms shown on this post can be found at mpmuseum.org and to whom I owe so much for sharing their knowledge. Thank you.

WW1 Letters Home - Jan 14, 1917

History Notes

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 29, 1916

History Notes

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916

Genealogy Notes

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 6, 1916

Noah Draper's WW1 Naval Uniform

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WW1 Letters Home - Jan 14, 1917

History Notes​

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 29, 1916

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WW1 Letters Home - Dec 19, 1916

Genealogy Notes

WW1 Letters Home - Dec 6, 1916

Noah Draper's WW1 Naval Uniform

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History Notes