Arthur Barrett talks about the loss of his brother on S.S. “Caribou”

Transcript of video:

[Sign at the entrance to club: Officers Club, Crow’s Nest (members only)]

[Stairway up to club entrance]

[Title text: An excerpt from “Fifty Nine Steps to the Crow’s Nest” ]

[Interior of Crow’s Nest club showing the fireplace and gunshield art on the walls]

[A city bus passes by the bottom of an outside stairway]

[Text: St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador]

[The legs of an old man walking with a cane in a house. A small dog is beside him.]

[An old man smiles while sitting on a sofa.]

[A middle-aged veteran helps and elderly veteran put on an overcoat.]

Narrator: Arthur Barrett is our oldest, active local veteran.

[Elderly veteran puts on winter gloves as second veteran looks on.]

And he is an absolute treasure to this club. He’s just an absolute gentleman in every way.

[Elderly veteran goes out front door of house using a cane.]

[Two veterans riding in car through streets of St. John’s.]

[Aerial shot of National War Memorial in St. John’s, Newfoundland.]

[Two older veterans walk up stairs to Crow’s Nest club; elderly veteran uses a cane.]

Arthur Barrett: Well … in ’42, just before I joined the Air Force,

[Two veterans enter the door of the Crow’s Nest club.]

I had a summer job in Stephenville with the Americans.

[Elderly veteran talks inside the Crow’s Nest club.]

[Title: Arthur Barrett, Armament Officer – 420 Squadron]

They were building the base: Harmon Field.

[Old black & white photo of American military base.]

And my brother, who was … had been at Dalhousie University.

[Elderly veteran talks inside the Crow’s Nest club.]

He was the youngest science graduate ever, to graduate from Dalhousie University.

[Old yearbook photo of John H. Barrett.]

He graduated, joined the Air Force, became a pilot, got married, and was on his way home on a combined embarkation leave and honeymoon.

[Elderly veteran talks inside the Crow’s Nest club.]

And the “Caribou” of course got torpedoed.

[Old black & white photo of “Caribou” ferry tied to a wharf.]

[Newspaper headline reads “SS. Caribou Torpedoed By Sub On N.S. to Newfoundland Trip; 14 Children Among the Victims.”]

[Elderly veteran talks inside the Crow’s Nest club.]

And he was, went up on deck with his wife and he was looking around for a friend of ours from Corner Brook, who was on the boat. Couldn’t find her. He went back down … to look for her. Never came back … and he was lost on the “Caribou” of course.

[Newspaper article shows photos of young airman and his wife above text that reads « Pilot Officer J.H. Barrett of the R.C.A.F. among those lost when the Newfoundland ferry Caribou was torpedoed, is shown above with his wife, who was rescued.”]

[Another newspaper article with headline “Bride Loses Husband In Sinking of Ferry.”]

[Elderly veteran sitting at the bar of the Crow’s Nest club.]

[Face of elderly veteran.]

[Title: This film is dedicated to the life & service of ARTHUR WILLIAM FORDYCE BARRETT, 1924 – 2019.]

[Video credits]

Click here to view the entire video “59 Steps to the Crow’s Nest.”