Removal Of Cemeteries at Argentia

Removal Of Cemeteries at Argentia

By Matthew Rolls

The following article describes the removal of the bodies from three cemetries in Argentia when the U.S. Naval Base began operations there in 1941. The information was obtained from the book Uprooted¹ by Mrs. Eileen Houlihan. Other information, including the report on the removal of the bodies, can be found at the Provincial Archives.

Decision made to relocate cemetries to Freshwater

When the American authorities set up a naval base in Argentia in 1941 they proposed that the three cemeteries which were located in Argentia be cemented over. Father Dee, parish priest at the time, would not agree to this plan. It was eventually decided that the three be relocated as one whenever a suitable site could be found in Freshwater. It was agreed that the work of exhumation and re-interment would be undertaken by the U.S. Government.

The residents at Argentia experienced the same frustrations as those that had accompanied the preparation of the town site. It was a terribly upsetting time for everyone involved. After some delays a piece of land was purchased through a private sale, and a survey was made. A road had to be constructed to connect the new cemetery with the existing road in the settlement, and an extensive excavation had to be made for reception of the remains.

Of the three cemetries there, the oldest one had headstones dating back as far as 1772, another been started about 1924 and the other had been started some time in the middle of the nineteenth century. In each of three cemeteries there had been recent burials, so all three were in use up to a short period before the arrival of the Americans. No records were kept, either of the dates of burials, or of the location of the graves. Some were marked with headstones, but in many cases they were further from the graves than would ordinarily be expected.

Licence granted to remove the bodies

On October 1, 1941 Mr. Emerson, the Commissioner for Justice, granted a licence to Dr. Alexander Bishop, Chief Health Inspector of the Department of Public Health and Welfare, for the removal of the bodies. A formal request was made on October 5 to the Department of Public Works that the road to the cemetery be constructed and excavation made. On October 15 Father Dee received a letter from Mr. Manning, the Secretary for Public Works, stating that because of a shortage of laborers and dump trucks they would not be in a position to build the cemetery road; the shortage was due to the work being done on the new settlement road. Public Works had written the American authorities requesting them to undertake the necessary construction work. The Americans had agreed, but thought it advisable to defer the work until spring.

The Removal

In the spring of 1942 the vault was excavated and the gruesome task of exhuming the bodies was begun. The work took place between July 14 and August 10. Six hundred and twenty-five bodies or remains were removed from the three Roman Catholic Cemeteries at Argentia and re-buried at Freshwater. The actual digging was done by a combination of mechanical shoveling and hand labor. With the mechanical shovel, a long trench 6 or 7 feet deep was made on the side of the Cemetery along by the side of the coffins; then the side of the bank was scraped off so that the sides of the coffins could be reached, after which the mechanical shovel stopped and hand labor was used to finish removing the clay and lifting out the coffin, or the remains which were then placed in the specially prepared boxes. Even the slightest means of identification was noted and recorded on the covers of the boxes. Depending on the state in which the bodies were found on any given day, they were either buried at once or kept in the mortuary shed to await a sufficient number to make a worthwhile load for a large truck.

The funerals to the new cemetery took place at night, to minimize the traumatic effect on the relatives of the dead. The common vault was in the shape of a cross, with the coffins placed in tiers of three and the headstones and markers placed around the sides. Individuals who had family members pass away just prior to the American takeover were permitted to exhume the bodies themselves and bury them in a plot of their own choice at the new cemetery.

In the meantime it was determined that more land was needed, and on July 7 Father Dee applied to the Department of Natural Resources for a Crown grant of 3 1/4 acres in order to extend the plot already purchased. Considerable delay was caused by arguments about the amount of land required; three Government Departments became involved. The work was finally completed in August.

Much Cooperation given during the Project/ Thanks given by Father Dee

During the whole project (project 500 as it was known by the Contractors) assistance was given to the Chief Health Inspector, A. Bishop, by the Naval authorities and the Contractors, and by many of high ranking positions in the Navy and Army as well as some doctors and chaplains from the forces.

After this most difficult task was completed, Father Dee expressed to Base Commander Martin his deep appreciation, and the thanks of the people of Freshwater, for the excellent work done, not only in removing the bodies in a satisfactory and respectful manner, but also for the fencing, grading and seeding of the new burial site.

Several efforts were made in recent years to have the Freshwater cemetery declared a national historic site, but without success; it was not considered to be of national interest. Perhaps in the future this will be seen in a new light and another appeal will give more success.

¹Mrs. Eileen Houlihan.(1992). Uprooted! The Argentia Story. St. John's, Newfoundland:Creative

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This Page is a part of a Historical and Cultural Web Site created by the students of Laval High School Placentia, NFLD (A0B 2Y0) January, 2000.