Boys, it is with sadness that I advise you of the passing of Alfred Brown, class of '56. Below is his obituary notice.
BROWN, Alfred Philip George— Passed peacefully away at his home on April 26, 2008, Alfred Brown age 69, P.H.D. Chemical Engineering (Queen’s University) and Bronze Bridge Life Master. Predeceased by his parents Jessie and Tom. Remembered by his brothers: Bill, Tom (Evelyn), Don (June), sister: Mildred (Tony Dearness), also a circle of nephews, nieces and friends. Resting at Carnell’s Funeral Home, 329 Freshwater Road on Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Alf’s memory may be made to a charity of one’s choice. To send a message of condolence or to sign the memorial guest book, please visit www.carnells.com.
To the Brown family we send our deepest sympathies.
Tuesday 29 April 2008
Monday 28 April 2008
Roald enrols at Bishop Feild College
When the coal cargo had been loaded, the Oddvar II sailed Northward from Newport News destined for Newfoundland. At that time the situation in Europe at the beginning of 1942 had become desperate. The Nazis had overrun Finland and the Russians were massing on its borders.
Before landing at the wharf in Botwood to discharge their cargo of coal The Oddvar II had received other orders to steam to The U.S. Marine at Argentia and to await further instructions. Unknown to Roald and his family, Britain had just declared war on Finland and The Oddvar II was summarily confiscated by Newfoundland authorities. All passengers and crew were taken ashore and transported to St. John's. The Ekholm family which included the ship's master, his wife, daughter and Roald were installed in The Balsam Hotel for the next three and one half years. This is a direct quote from Roald's letter: "And the Master's son attended Bishop Feild College and became a Feildian from 1943-1945 and he liked it!!"
Before landing at the wharf in Botwood to discharge their cargo of coal The Oddvar II had received other orders to steam to The U.S. Marine at Argentia and to await further instructions. Unknown to Roald and his family, Britain had just declared war on Finland and The Oddvar II was summarily confiscated by Newfoundland authorities. All passengers and crew were taken ashore and transported to St. John's. The Ekholm family which included the ship's master, his wife, daughter and Roald were installed in The Balsam Hotel for the next three and one half years. This is a direct quote from Roald's letter: "And the Master's son attended Bishop Feild College and became a Feildian from 1943-1945 and he liked it!!"
Tuesday 22 April 2008
New Port News The Roald Ekholm Story (cont.)
With so many extra people aboard the Master of the vessel had to find a port as quickly as possible and so he made for Newport News in Virginia. This place proved to be better than Vera Cruz and so Roald's family disembarked and stayed there for about a month. As I have already told you the Oddvar II was stationed on the eastern seaboard of the USA and so Roald's father joined his ship, with his family, in Mobile, Alabama. The Oddvar II had to spend some time in dry dock for repairs and so after two months in Alabama the ship proceeded in ballast to New Orleans and picked up a full cargo of military vehicles for Balboa, Panama Canal.
From Balboa after discharging the vehicles they proceeded, empty, to Manzanillo, Cuba to load a full cargo of sugar in bags for Jack Frosts Pier in Albany River, New York. After discharging their sugar the ship steamed in ballast to Newport News once more to load a full cargo of coal for Botwood, Newfoundland. By this time we had reached the end of 1941.
From Balboa after discharging the vehicles they proceeded, empty, to Manzanillo, Cuba to load a full cargo of sugar in bags for Jack Frosts Pier in Albany River, New York. After discharging their sugar the ship steamed in ballast to Newport News once more to load a full cargo of coal for Botwood, Newfoundland. By this time we had reached the end of 1941.
Sunday 20 April 2008
Roald Ekholm's Story
Having met Roald during our reunion of 1994 I was curious how he became a B.F.C. student in 1943. How did a Finnish boy end up going to Feild?
It is 1941 and the war is raging in Europe. The Russians are threatening to invade Finland. Roald's father was the master of a 3 500 ton cargo vessel of Norwegian ownership but was under a Finnish flag. The owners kept their vessel the Oddvar II on the other side of the Atlantic and thus Roald's father was away from his family much of the time. While on a trip home to Finland Roald's father decided that it was far to dangerous for his family to remain there so he made plans to bring them to North America.
The problem was that the Baltic and North Seas were practically closed to commercial shipping so he had to try and get them to the northerly part of Finland to a port called Lilmahamari. First they took the train from Helsinki to Ronaviemi and then by bus to Lilmahamari. In the group were Roald's parents, his sister and Roald himself.
This trip took several days but they finally arrived and embarked on a ship called the S/S Hammerland. She was destined for Vera Cruz in Mexico. Roald tells of the cabin he was in which was filled with emergency equipment in case the ship was attacked by German U-Boats and sunk. It was not a comforting feeling at all. However, the S/S Hammerland was never to make it to Mexico
It is 1941 and the war is raging in Europe. The Russians are threatening to invade Finland. Roald's father was the master of a 3 500 ton cargo vessel of Norwegian ownership but was under a Finnish flag. The owners kept their vessel the Oddvar II on the other side of the Atlantic and thus Roald's father was away from his family much of the time. While on a trip home to Finland Roald's father decided that it was far to dangerous for his family to remain there so he made plans to bring them to North America.
The problem was that the Baltic and North Seas were practically closed to commercial shipping so he had to try and get them to the northerly part of Finland to a port called Lilmahamari. First they took the train from Helsinki to Ronaviemi and then by bus to Lilmahamari. In the group were Roald's parents, his sister and Roald himself.
This trip took several days but they finally arrived and embarked on a ship called the S/S Hammerland. She was destined for Vera Cruz in Mexico. Roald tells of the cabin he was in which was filled with emergency equipment in case the ship was attacked by German U-Boats and sunk. It was not a comforting feeling at all. However, the S/S Hammerland was never to make it to Mexico
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Roald Ekholm
Well, I have finally received a response to my letter that I sent to Roald several months ago. He has replied with the story about how he came to be a student at BFC from 1943-45. He has also included a picture of a much younger Roald at that time. Over the next week or so I will put the highlights of that adventure for that is what it could only be for a boy of 12 or so at that time during the war on the high seas.
Below is a picture of Roald in his uniform with the BFC crest just visible on his
blazer pocket.
Below is a picture of Roald in his uniform with the BFC crest just visible on his
blazer pocket.
Wednesday 2 April 2008
Anyone For Cricket
As you can see from the above picture Cricket was played at the college in 1910 and we won the championship that year. Cricket would be a natural game for English boys to play and since our founder came from England, I am sure cricket followed him here. I did some research and found that Mr. Job of Job Brothers Ltd. also "introduced" cricket to St. John's. It was played in the Pleasantville area where there was a large flat piece of land.
Cricket is no longer played here and that goes back to the early 1900's, after 1910. It seems that the weather was not conducive to playing cricket and games sometimes took a week to finish. In one edition of The Feildian there was a hue and cry when cricket was removed from the college's list of sports and replaced with basketball. Several articles were written saying how could this be allowed to happen; the national game of the mother country cast aside in the oldest colony. Shame! Shame!
But we Feildians did play it and played it well as can be seen from this picture. They are a smart lot!!
Cricket is no longer played here and that goes back to the early 1900's, after 1910. It seems that the weather was not conducive to playing cricket and games sometimes took a week to finish. In one edition of The Feildian there was a hue and cry when cricket was removed from the college's list of sports and replaced with basketball. Several articles were written saying how could this be allowed to happen; the national game of the mother country cast aside in the oldest colony. Shame! Shame!
But we Feildians did play it and played it well as can be seen from this picture. They are a smart lot!!
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