Chapter LIII: The Knights of Columbus

Until the spring of 1918, the war work of the Knights of Columbus in Nova Scotia consisted in aiding the work carried on at St. Mary’s Army and Navy Club at Halifax, and in sending money Overseas to aid the Catholic Army Huts in England and at the Front. The work done by these Huts became more and more extensive as the War went on, and the amount of money that each council could send from its own funds became wholly inadequate to enable these Huts to give efficient service.

In May, 1918, His Lordship the Right Reverend James Morrison, Bishop of Antigonish, addressed a letter to the Knights of Columbus of the Maritime Provinces, setting out the needs of the Catholic Army Huts and the slender financial resources at their disposal. “Accordingly,” he says, “I feel it a pressing duty to ask the Knights of Columbus to organize a general public campaign for funds to provide our Catholic soldiers Overseas, or wherever they may be assembled, with Catholic Huts, Club Rooms and accessories thereto, in which the Army Chaplains may be enabled more efficiently and more conveniently to minister to their religious welfare, and where the soldiers themselves, irrespective of denominational affiliations, may have at their disposal such accommodations in social life as may be a proper safeguard for their moral welfare.”

On the receipt of this letter the Knights began the work of organizing a campaign which extended throughout the whole of Canada. More than one million dollars were raised in the Dominion, to which sum the various counties of Nova Scotia contributed as follows:—

Halifax $56,621 95
Cape Breton 28,562 80
Pictou 9,509 63
Antigonish 6,635 49
Cumberland 5,337 73
Inverness 4,802 46
Guysboro 3,330 05
Yarmouth 2,877 97
Colchester 2,475 29
Kings 2,405 57
Hants 1,961 66
Richmond 1,723 25
Digby 1,542 67
Victoria 1,144 25
Queens 1,102 20
Lunenburg 669 50
Annapolis 444 55
Shelburne 68 50
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Total for the Province $131,215 52

The “Drive” by which this money was raised took place during the week of August 19–24, 1918. The whole of the amount raised was intended for work in England and France but, with the signing of the Armistice, the returned soldier problem demanded the attention of the Knights, and Huts were opened in Halifax and the other dispersal areas in Canada. The work in Canada and Overseas was under the supervision of Lieut.-Col. Clarence F. Smith, of Montreal, Comptroller. Large sums of the money were sent Overseas and the balance was devoted to the work of serving the returned men.

Following are the names on the Executive Committee of the Knights of Columbus War Activities:—Messrs. John A. Neville, John F. O’Connell, Jas. D. O’Connor, Walter M. Godsoe, Thos. W. Murphy, Frank A. Gillis, Dan. T. Lynagh, Wm. A. Hallisey, Jno. P. Quinn, Hon. Judge Chisholm, and Mr. William R. Wakely.

The Knights of Columbus Catholic Army Hut, at No. 372 Barrington Street, was opened December 1, 1918, and Halifax may be regarded as the birth-place of the work of the Knights of Columbus Catholic Army Huts in Canada. All men of the Allied Armies and Navies were welcome, irrespective of race, creed or color. The Knights of Columbus’ slogan, “Everybody Welcome, Everything Free,” was carried out to the letter, with the exception that a charge of 25c. was made for beds, although of the total number of beds used about half were donated, inasmuch as many of the guests were in need of funds. Men arriving in transports were also given a bed free of charge. Mr. J. D. O’Connor was Chairman of the Hut Committee, and associated with him were Mr. John F. O’Connell, Mr. D. T. Lynagh, the late W. A. Monoghan, Mr. W. J. Williams, Mr. E. J. Scanlon, Mr. W. A. Hallisey, Mr. W. T. Murphy, Mr. W. E. Donovan, Mr. J. K. Kelleher, and Mr. W. R. Wakely. There was an average daily attendance at the Hut during December, 1918, January, February and March, 1919, of 1,300 to 1,500, and a total attendance of 177,060 from December 1, 1918, until the Hut closed on September 13, 1919.

Mr. W. E. Donovan, Chairman of the Entertainment Committee, arranged for weekly entertainments. The men in uniform were always most appreciative of the class of entertainment given at the Hut under the direction of the Chairman. He had the happy faculty of selecting the very best artists, and had the Columbus Musical Club to draw from as well as other local clubs.

Refreshments were always served. Mr. W. E. Donovan never failed to have a number of young ladies in attendance, and they saw that every guest was generously supplied. The Hut was open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., and the men had free use of the reading, writing and billiard rooms. Canadian and American newspapers and magazines were supplied; writing paper and envelopes and all billiard and pool games were free. 12,983 games of billiards and pool were played from December, 1918, to September 13, 1919. May 10, 1919, a dormitory of fifty beds was opened, and from that date to September 13, 1919, 2,725 beds were used. Of that number 1,279 were supplied free of charge.

Space in the building would not permit of the Knights of Columbus War Activities having a cafeteria, but there was a canteen from which the following supplies were given away free, from December 1, 1918, to September 13, 1919:—

Soft Drinks (bottles) 6,684
Apples (barrels) 32
Cigarettes (packages) 27,872
Cigars 2,000
Tobacco (pounds) 830
Gum (packages) 1,605
Coffee (cups) 55,175
Oxo (cubes) 3,783
Biscuits (pounds) 2,389
Chocolate Bars 7,668
Matches (boxes) 8,304

LETTERS MAILED.

Canadian 27,121
British and Foreign 6,042
American 8,067

It was not until after the Armistice was signed that a Pier Committee was organized under the able leadership of Mr. John P. Quinn as Chairman. His associates were Messrs. John Neville, Henry T. Kline, Harry C. Murphy, John D. Campbell, E. J. Murphy, John Fry, J. J. Penny, P. J. Hanifen, R. J. Flinn, Geo. A. Gauvin, and W. E. Donovan.

The Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee, made up of twenty-five men selected from the various clubs and organizations of Halifax City, with an Auxiliary Committee of five ladies, was organized in November, 1916. From that date the Committee received troop and hospital ships, and raised by voluntary subscription $9,178.96. It also received $3,000.00 from the Halifax Victory Loan canvassers. Mr. John P. Quinn waited upon Mr. W. S. Davidson, Chairman of the Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee, and informed Mr. Davidson that the Knights of Columbus were prepared to spend an amount of their funds toward the reception of the troops returning from Overseas, either in conjunction with the Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee, or alone. This brought in the Red Cross and the Y.M.C.A., and an agreement was made by each of the three organizations to contribute to the funds of the Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee to the extent of one-third each of the amount required by the Returned Soldiers’ Committee. From January 1, 1919, until the last troopship arrived, $9,000.00 was contributed from each of the three organizations—a total of $27,000.00. These funds were used for the purpose of purchasing cigarettes, fruit, chocolate bars, matches, flowers, newspapers, welcome cards, and for postage and telegrams.

From the time the work began, one hundred and thirty-eight troopships disembarked about 305,655 men. In the distribution of supplies at the pier, the work was divided among seven teams of twelve each, each team having a captain and an equal number of representatives from the Knights of Columbus, the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., and the Returned Soldiers’ Reception Committee. Mr. Felix P. Quinn, of the Knights of Columbus, was a captain of one of the teams.

WORK AT THE VARIOUS MILITARY HOSPITALS.

MRS. JOHANNA M. TERNAN.]

There existed what was known as the Knights of Columbus Hospital Comfort Bureau. The following are the names of those serving on that Committee: Rev. John Quinan, Capt. M. Ryan, Jas. J. Bates, T. J. Burke, E. J. Griffen, Geo. J. Lynch, Jas. P. Mulcahy, Frank A. Gillis, and O. G. Burke.

Mrs. Johanna Mary Ternan was appointed Secretary.

Daily supplies were sent to Camp Hill Military Hospital and Cogswell Street Station Hospital and weekly visits were made. On these visits fruit, candy and cigarettes were distributed by the following committee of ladies: Mrs. Geo. Metzler, Miss Nita Gauvin, Miss Fannie Clark, Miss Metzler, Mrs. M. Foley, Miss Mary Neville, and Miss Frances Chisholm.

In addition to the above Hospitals, supplies were sent to Pine Hill Convalescent Home, Rock Head Military Hospital, Kentville Sanitarium, Naval Hospital, County Jail, Victoria General Hospital, Lawlor’s Island, Quarantine Station, Air Station, U.S. Flying Corps and H.M.S. Hospital Ship _Essequibo_.

Weekly visits were made to the Kentville Sanitarium by Mrs. W. S. Rothburn, of Kentville, and a committee of ladies, Miss McCormack, Miss Farrell, and Miss Kearney, under the supervision of Mrs. Johanna M. Ternan, of Halifax.

At Christmas, 1918, there were:

Patients.
Camp Hill Hospital 440
Naval Hospital 38
Cogswell St. Hospital 300
Kentville Sanitarium 200
Nova Scotia Hospital, Dartmouth 70
Pine Hill Convalescent Home 125
Rock Head Military Hospital 60
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Total 1,233

It was decided by the Hospitals Committee on Thursday, December 19, 1918, that candy and smokes should be sent to Kentville for the 200 patients. Four hundred boxes were prepared containing three packages of cigarettes and a half-pound of candy for each patient. This work was done by a voluntary committee of three little girls and one little boy (the Misses O’Connor and Master O’Connor, daughters and son of Mr. J. D. O’Connor), and by little Miss Elliott. Provision was made for Rock Head and Cogswell Hospitals.

December 18, 1918, 328 stockings were made and filled by a committee of ladies at the Knights of Columbus Club Rooms, Hollis Street. The stockings were all of different shades, and each contained fourteen articles, consisting of the following: One box of notepaper, one lead pencil, one cube of tooth paste, one tooth brush, three packages cigarettes, two boxes of matches, one small comb, one pocket handkerchief, one ash-tray, two chocolate bars, collar buttons, one pipe, one package tobacco and one tobacco pouch.

Two hundred and three of these were sent to Camp Hill and one hundred and twenty-five to Pine Hill. As there were a number of very sick patients at Cogswell Street Station Hospital, it was requested that fruit be sent, and three cases of oranges, four cases of grape fruit and one keg of grapes were supplied. To the Nova Scotia Hospital, Dartmouth, one hundred and forty parcels were sent containing three packages of cigarettes and a half-pound of candy. Stockings were sent to four soldiers in the County Jail, and nine stockings to soldiers in the Victoria General Hospital. To the N.S. Naval Air Station were sent two cases of oranges, two hundred packages cigarettes, two hundred cigars and two hundred chocolate bars.

CHRISTMAS, 1919.

Christmas boxes were sent from the Head Office in Montreal, specially made for the Knights of Columbus Catholic Army Huts for distribution on this day to all Military Hospitals in the Dominion. Each box contained one package gum, one Durham Duplex Safety Razor, one package razor blades, one shaving stick, one shaving brush, one package cigarettes, one box matches, one chocolate bar, one tooth brush, one tube tooth paste, one handkerchief, and short stories. In addition twenty-six quarts of ice cream were distributed, also five hundred apples, fifty pounds of assorted kisses and fifty pounds of frosted cake.

Many picnics were given patients who were convalescing during the summer of 1919, and entertainments given to special wards in Camp Hill and Cogswell Street Hospitals.

From January 1, 1919, to April 30, 1919, no fewer than 125,466 personal requests for comforts were granted by the Knights of Columbus Hospital Comfort Bureau.