www.legionnl.ca 135 James John “Jack” Taylor was born on June 22, 1893 at sea in Cupids, Newfoundland, while enroute to Labrador. Jack enlisted in the Royal Newfoundland Naval Reserves in 1914 during World War One and served as a deep sea diver on the HMS Calypso for two years before leaving the Navy in 1916. He married Ethel Mugford of Clarke’s Beach, NL on February 9, 1924. Together, they raised a family of three girls and three boys. Jack passed away on April 10, 1968 at age 75 years, and Ethel passed away on April 5, 1999 at the age of 94 years. The story of the HMS CALYPSO (FRITON) The Calypso was launched at the Royal Dock Yard, Chatham in 1883, and was completed in the same year. She was designed by Sir Nathaniel Barnaby and laid down in 1881. She and her sister ship, the Calliope, were the last of the British Sailing Corvettes. The Calypso spent all her active sea-going days with the Sailing Training Squadron, composed of four Corvettes, sailing out to the West Indies for the autumn and winter months and cruising in Northern waters during the summer. The Sailing Training Squadron was abolished in 1898 or 1899, and in 1902 the old Calypso made her last voyage across the Atlantic to become the drill and depot ship for the renowned Royal Newfoundland Naval Reserve. Shortly after her arrival at St. John’s, she was stripped of her masts and yards, and the upper deck was roofed over to make a suitable training space for the winter months, when the Naval Reserve men came in for their annual training course. During the 1914-18 war, the Calypso trained and sent overseas several hundred seamen to join the Fleet – many lost their lives in action against the enemy. Some went to reinforce the Canadian Navy, which at the time was not doing too well in the way or recruiting. On February 15, 1916, the Calypso’s name was changed to Briton by Admiralty order so as to make her original name available for a new cruiser. After the war, in 1919, the Royal Newfoundland Naval Reserve was disbanded, and in 1922 the old ship was sold to Mr. A. H. Murray for use as a storage hulk for coal and salt at St. John’s, and in 1952 she was removed to Lewisporte where she now remains. Remembering James John “Jack” Taylor
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==