Newfoundland & Labrador

Margaret O’Brien commissioned the family war memorial grotto after losing four of her six sons over a period of two years during the Second World War. She is recognized on a plaque at Signal Hill Road in St. John's as Newfoundland's "Most bereaved mother for World War II". Her husband Maurice passed away in 1942 between losing their third and fourth sons.

The grotto is a free-standing stone structure with a statue of Anne, the patron saint of mothers, resting on a pillar with the names of the O'Brien men who died in the war. Mrs. O'Brien herself paid for its creation in the mid-1950s. It was built by the father and son team Richard (senior and junior) Mahon, formerly of Logy Bay. Over the years its foundation had shifted, leaving the structure unstable and the statue of St. Anne badly damaged. In 2020, the Logy Bay Development Association, a community non-profit, raised funds and contracted the Grand Concourse Authority to stabilize the foundation and restore the grotto and statue to its original condition. At this time, the spelling of the family name on the memorial was corrected from O’Brine to O’Brien.

The Veterans Memorial Committee of the Development Association created the nearby storyboard of the family's history in 2002 to ensure the town remembered why the memorial was there. Maurice Jr. served with the Royal Navy and his ship was torpedoed in the northeast Atlantic on December 2, 1940. Michael worked on an American merchant ship and his vessel was torpedoed on March 30, 1941. David served with the Royal Navy Auxiliary and accidently drowned on September 28, 1942, in St. John's Harbour when his ship was in port. Denis served in the Royal Navy and returned home safely. John briefly enlisted with the Royal Navy, but his health prevented him from going overseas. He then joined the Newfoundland Militia and served until April 30, 1941.

The committee's research of James, the third son lost, took an unexpected turn. The family thought he was lost at sea, but the researcher found a detailed account of what had happened to him and a picture of his grave site. In June 1930, he moved to Boston to be with his oldest brother William, and to seek work as a fisherman. In the Spring of 1942, James was with the American Merchant Marine aboard the SS Ballot as part of Convoy PQ13. The Ballot was bombed on March 28, as the family had believed, but that wasn't the end of James's story. He was one of 15 crew members to survive in lifeboats and was picked up by the SS Induna. This ship was sunk two days later and once again James ended up in a lifeboat. He spent days injured and exposed to the icy Arctic Ocean before being picked up by a Russian minesweeper. He died in a Murmansk hospital a week later and was buried nearby.

During the Second World War, there were various messes around the city, but none were designated for naval officers, so Captain Rollo Mainguy decided to establish a Seagoing Officers Club. The Crow's Nest opened on January 27, 1942, as a safe haven for naval officers fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic. The club's name is believed to have originated when a Lieutenant Colonel in the Canadian Army, puffing and winded when he arrived at the top of the club's 59 steps, mopped his forehead and gasped, “Crikey, this is a snug little Crow’s Nest.” His companions were delighted with the observation and the name stuck.

On opening night the club had a contest for who could hammer a spike into the floor faster and it was won by the captain of HMCS Spikenard. They were torpedoed off Iceland on the night of February 10. During the war the club had a brass ring put around the spike in the floor and then after the war it was removed from the floor and put on the wall where it still remains.

As a memento before entering the theatre of war, many men visiting the club would scratch the name of their ship on the walls. Captain Mainguy gave each ship a space on the wall so they could put their gun shield there. Each ship had their own unique crest that they usually put on the gun shield of the four inch gun in the bow of their ship. Each gun shield in the club has its own story.

At the end of war, U-190 surrendered off the coast of Newfoundland on May 8, 1945, to HMCS Victoriaville and HMCS Thorlock. U-190 was brought into the Bay Bulls harbour because the submarine had sunk HMSC Esquimalt on April 16 and they were was afraid if they brought the crew to Halifax so soon after that, there could be some sort of public incident. The periscope was removed from the submarine and still remains in the club.

In 2015, a busy highway through Conception Bay South has been named Peacekeepers Way. The Canadian Peacekeeping Veterans Association advocated strongly for the new name. It commemorates the enormous cost of the freedom we enjoy and the peace that has been achieved in so many areas around the globe.

The Conception Bay South LAV lll Monument was dedicated on 2 October 2022 and recognizes the sacrifices of military members who served in Afghanistan. Eleven wreaths were laid in remembrance of 11 Newfoundland and Labrador Veterans who lost their lives in the Afghanistan War. 

Light Armoured Vehicles (LAV) III were originally manufactured by Canadians at General Dynamics Land Systems Canada in London, Ontario and were instrumental to troops in carrying out their missions while in Afghanistan. The monuments were created from decommissioned LAV III hulls, donated by the Government of Canada and built by Militex Coating Inc. and Fanshawe College students in London, Ontario.

The names of 820 members of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve and the Mercantile Marines who gave their lives in the First World War and whose final resting places were then unknown are inscribed on these plaques. They are replicas of the ones unveiled at Beaumont-Hamel on 7 June 1925.

Engineer Randal Power of College of the North Atlantic and a team from Morgan Sculptures Inc., the company responsible for replicating and installing the plaques, painstakingly studied, documented and scanned the three-piece monument in France. The replicas were generated without even touching the master plaques, using advancements in virtual and manufacturing sciences. Having the memorial plaques replicated and mounted in Bowring Park was an initiative of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. The plaques were unveiled on 1 July 2009.

Directly across from the Beaumont Hamel Memorial Plaque Replicas is The Caribou Monument.

This 2003 painting by Joe Dwyer was donated by the Cambridge Newfoundland Club. The painting shows the explosion from a German torpedo that struck the side of the SS Saganaga on September 5, 1942. SS Lord Strathcona, is anchored in the background.

Four fully-loaded ships were anchored in Bell Island Tickle on the morning of 5 September 5 1942. Two more ships were loading iron ore at the Scotia and Dominion piers. At 11:46 am, an explosion on SS Saganaga sent two sailors, decking and ore high into the air. Another explosion occurred moments later, as a second torpedo struck the ship. Cut nearly in two, Saganaga sank in just 30 seconds. With no warning of the attack, many drowned inside the sinking ship. Twenty-nine sailors died in the attack, most of the crew was from the United Kingdom.

The survivors struggled to swim in the cold seawater. Crew of nearby Lord Strathcona abandoned ship to help Saganaga's survivors. In the confusion, Lord Strathcona swung about, hitting the submarine’s conning tower, but U-boat 518 recovered quickly and sank Lord Strathcona.

This plaque commemorates those who were members of the congregation and gave the supreme sacrifice in the Second World War. There is a Presbyterian, Burning Bush Insignia at the superior aspect of the plaque.

This plaque commemorates members of the congregation who died in the First World War. Some of these Church members lived outside St. John’s. It was funded by donations from members of the church.

There are 23 names listed as members of the Church which includes eight individuals who were also members of the Newfoundland Highlanders. The congregational plaque is topped by the Presbyterian Church badge - the Burning Bush. It was dedicated at a service on June 12, 1921.

The War Memorial Window was created by A. Ballantine and Son of Edinburgh, Scotland and placed in the sanctuary and dedicated on May 28, 1922. James Ballantine, principal of the stained glass company, travelled to Newfoundland to help install the window. “A Veteran of the Great War himself, and a good friend of one of the young men the window commemorates, Mr. Ballantine had a particular interest in seeing that the window was a fitting memorial.” The most likely friend of James Ballantine from St. Andrew’s was Gilbert Thomas Gordon.

The window was funded by generous donations from members of the congregation of St. Andrew’s. In the first, or left light our attention is immediately drawn to the figure in the forefront - a boy reading at a desk, with a teacher and angel above him. It is that of one upon whose features the fresh bloom of youth still rests. In his hands he holds the ‘Book of Books’, which he has been thoughtfully reading. He has been pondering deeply over the part he may soon be called upon to play in the great struggle, the fires of which have already been lit. As he listens to the words of a wise counsellor, the sudden gleam in his eyes suggests to us that he has made his great decision. He will be true to himself and the Christian principles he has been taught. He will grasp firmly the torch of duty and by its light he will step bravely along that difficult path which stretches out before him.

In the center light is an image of an angel and a kneeling knight in armour with broken sword. An angel holding a laurel wreath is above the knight. Our soldier, has returned tired and worn from the conflict. We see him on his knees, but not as one defeated. He has cast aside his helmet and with uncovered head and with the hand which held his now broken sword, symbol of duty done, uplifted he looks up to receive the victor’s laurel wreath.

In the third light is an image of a knight in armour, wearing helmet, standing with sword and spear in hand, an angel is behind the knight’s Red Cross banner. Our youth has accepted the challenge and goes forth in the pride of young manhood, to answer the call of duty. Fully clad in the armour of a Christian Soldier, with sword in hand, and the banner of the Red Cross held high, with face set he goes out to meet unknown dangers, and perhaps death itself.

The wording through three small windows above the main window states, "Be thou faithful unto death.” Which is from Rev. 2:10 and is followed in the text, but not the window by - "And I will give thee a crown of life."

This plaque commemorates members of the Newfoundland Highlanders a paramilitary, pre First World War group that gave the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. It was funded by donations from members of the church.

Although the Highlanders were affiliated with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, many members had their home congregation in other churches. Twenty-six names are on the plaque and eight of those, as they were members of St. Andrew’s Church, are also on the congregational plaque.

The plaque, at its superior aspect, has affixed a Newfoundland Highlander Badge - a Caribou with ‘Newfoundland Highlanders’ in scroll under it. The plaque was dedicated at a service on June 12, 1921.