People Archives | Page 2 of 3 | When World War II Came to Bell Island, Newfoundland

Diver Luc Michel recovers a sextant from Rose Castle shipwreck

In 2015, scuba diver Luc Michel (on left) recovered a navigational sextant from the Rose Castle shipwreck. On the right in the photo is Rick Stanley of Ocean […]

Navy divers handling unexploded artillery shell

Canadian Forces clearance divers from the Fleet Diving Unit – Atlantic lift an unexploded artillery shell recovered from the SS Rose Castle shipwreck. The divers are Leading Seaman […]

Navy diver clearing unexploded ammunition from Rose Castle shipwreck

A Canadian Forces clearance diver from Fleet Diving Unit – Atlantic shows an unexploded artillery shell (lower right) on the S.S. Rose Castle shipwreck. The Royal Canadian Navy […]

Eyewitness account of Rose Castle sinking by survivor Gordon Hardy

Eyewitness account of Gordon Walter Hardy from Ingonish, Nova Scotia, who survived the sinking of SS Rose Castle on November 2, 1942: “I joined the [Canadian] Merchant Navy […]

Barry and Marita Collings visit Seaman’s Memorial in Lance Cove

Barry and Marita Collings visiting the Seaman’s Memorial in Lance Cove, Bell Island in July 2010. The memorial commemorates the sailors killed in two U-boat attacks at Bell […]

Marita and Barry Collings donate U-boat Commander’s artifacts

Marita Collings (right) and Barry Collings (centre) donating Rolf Rüggeberg’s Navy medals, badges and photographs to the Bell Island Community Museum on July 6, 2010. Rüggeberg was commander […]

Electric shovel loading iron ore into ore car at Bell Island

An electric shovel loading iron ore into an ore car in a Bell Island iron mine in 1949. Ore production increased as heavy equipment was introduced into the […]

Drilling for iron ore at Bell Island

A driller and chucker operate a drill in a Bell Island iron mine. Mining was hard and dangerous work. Dozens of miners were killed at Bell Island over […]

Tank production at the Montreal Locomotive Works

Canadian industry switched to war production during World War II. For example, the Montreal Locomotive Works produced tanks for the Canadian Army. Manufacture of trucks, tanks, airplanes, ships, […]

Pouring molten steel in Canadian steel mill, 1944

Steel production was crucial to the Allied war effort. Iron ore from Bell Island was used to make steel in the Dominion Steel & Coal Corporation’s steel mills […]

Rose Castle survivor Gordon Hardy in 1942

Gordon Walter Hardy of Ingonish, Nova Scotia was a 17-year-old steward on SS Rose Castle in 1942. He survived the sinking on November 2, 1942 and later enlisted […]

U-513 Commander Rolf Rüggeberg

Photo from U-boat commander Rolf Rüggeberg’s personal photograph collection. It is an informal portrait of U-513 commander Rüggeberg wearing his working uniform aboard the submarine.