Noah Draper joins WW1

Recruiting Poster, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve. Courtesy of the George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19860131-059

​I found the above poster on the Canadian War Museum (CWM) site while looking into the history of the Canadian Navy. Here's what the CWM says about the above Recruiting Poster, Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve:
​This poster, with its image of a confident sailor standing alongside a ship's guns, sought volunteers for the Royal Naval Canadian Volunteer Reserve (RNCVR).
Established in May 1914 and situated in communities across the country, the RNCVR was originally intended to provide sailors for Britain's Royal Navy. This poster sought sailors for "service Overseas with the Imperial Royal Navy for the Period of the War." The RNCVR also provided many of the recruits that permitted Canada's wartime navy to expand rapidly from a mere 350 sailors to over 5,000.
Source: Canadian War Museum, George Metcalf Archival Collection CWM 19860131-059
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Noah Clement Draper had a young family and a large grain farm to take care of, yet he answered the call. On Nov 25, 1916, after the western harvest was complete, he brought Ethel and the kids to her parents place in Belhaven, Ontario, and signed up for the RNCVR in Toronto.  

I'd like to point out that although the recruiting poster says RNCVR, Noah's service certificate below shows that he joined the RCNVR, although written in pencil under his name you can see RNCVR.  

​I've researched the history of the RCNVR and RNCVR and all I can say at this point is that there is so much contradictory information out there that I will soon be posting about this subject with the hope of clearing it up. 

Noah Draper's Service Certificate (top portion only)

Noah's Service Certificate gives the following information

Name: Noah Clement Draper
Enrolment Date: 25 Nov 1916
Date of Birth: 8 Feb 1887
Residence: PO Belhaven, Ont, Canada
Next of Kin: Wife Ethel Isabel Draper, Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan, Canada
Previous Service: Nil
Religion: Church of England
Can he swim: NO
Civil Employment: (Farmer crossed off) Machine Fitter 
Description:
- Height: 5 ft 9 1/2 in
- Complexion: Fair
- Hair: Flaxen
- Eyes: Blue
- Marks: Scar back right hand

Did you see the part where they ask if Noah can swim? He says, no. It's hard to imagine a sailor who can't swim, but there you are.

Noah left for the war soon after this family photograph was taken late Nov 1916. 

In the coming months, I'll  be posting letters, photos, and post cards from Noah and his loved ones as he travels the seas in the First World War.  Many of his letters have been cut and pieces take out as the censors clipped out any mention of the location of Noah's ship, but even those letters bring home the reality of what our men went through so we can have our freedom.

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