NEWFOUNDLAND OVERSEAS FORESTRY UNIT 1939 - 1945
This site is dedicated to the men of the Newfoundland Overseas Forestry Unit, who responded to a call for volunteers to leave their families and homes to work overseas in Great Britain during the second world war. This was an important contribution to the war effort and many feel that these men did not receive the recognition they deserved. The demand for local lumber was intense due to restrictions to off-shore supplies as a result of the conflict. Local lumber was critical and most able bodied local men were away in the armed forces or otherwise occupied. Unfortunately, official records of the NOFU are very limited, and a forest fire in Glovertown in 1946 claimed what was stored there at that time.
On November 17,1939 the commisioner for Natural Resources announced by radio the need to recruit volunteer loggers to work in Great Britain. The men would be paid the sum of $2.00 / day or $12.00 / week. Accommodation, transport and medical requirements would be supplied. All personal needs such as clothing were to be supplied by the men themselves. There would be a $1.00 / day compulsory deduction from wages which was forwarded to the families back in Newfoundland.
Our purpose here is to ensure that the history of the NOFU and its members is not forgotten, and to provide a venue in which to share information with others who also have an interest in such a goal. In the site you will find among other things, a list of members showing their unit number, home towns and other pertinent info. We welcome additional information such as pictures, documents or simply anecdotes that you might have to share with us.
I will be slowly but surely adding info that we gathered for the previous edition of this site which we discontinued some time ago.
Our purpose here is to ensure that the history of the NOFU and its members is not forgotten, and to provide a venue in which to share information with others who also have an interest in such a goal. In the site you will find among other things, a list of members showing their unit number, home towns and other pertinent info. We welcome additional information such as pictures, documents or simply anecdotes that you might have to share with us.
I will be slowly but surely adding info that we gathered for the previous edition of this site which we discontinued some time ago.
site established January 2019
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph, Ontario
last update: June 7, 2021
Guelph, Ontario
