Adventures of 13-14-Year-Old Josiah Porter Born in Hibbs Cove, NL, July 2, 1928 In 1941, I was in high school at Port de Grave. World War II was raging, and many local fishermen went to work on various US military bases in Newfoundland. My dad, Walter, obtained employment at the US Naval Base in Argentia. In May of 1941, Uncle John C. Porter, who was 62 years old at the time, and several other locals decided to cease fishing and go to work on the bases. I felt that I was mature enough to go along with them, so with Mom's permission, I left school. Uncle John promised to keep an eye on me. We boarded the train at Clarke's Beach. Standing room only, mostly US military personnel returning to the base from St. John's. A young US soldier stood up and gave his seat to Uncle John. It was a long and slow ride, the train stopping at many unscheduled stops along the way. We arrived in Argentia (Marquise) early afternoon, in time to obtain employment, pass a physical examination, which also included getting vaccinated, assigned sleeping quarters (bunkhouse) and mess hall. Some of us lied a little about our ages. I believe 18 years was the minimum requirement. My first job, I was assigned rain gear and rubber boots. Along with several others, we went filling sand bags on the beach oceanside between Marquise and Argentia, a job I didn't care much about. I applied and got a transfer, working in the mess hall kitchen, washing dishes, peeling potatoes, etc., helping in any way possible. In about a month on that job, I was approached and offered a transfer to Fox Island, which is located a mile or so outside Argentia Harbour. I accepted the challenge to assist the cook (a nice gentleman from Grand Bank). The mess hall was a large canvas tent, dirt floor, 3-4 picnic tables for seating and a large oil-fired stove for cooking, baking, heating water, etc. The work crew consisted of about 8-10 labourers, carpenters and three American stationary engineers (older men). Sleeping quarters were two large canvas tents with wooden floors, and a stove for heat. There was a very limited amount of electricity supplied by diesel generator, no indoor plumbing and a cold water shower in the open air (brrr). With all the extra chores to do, it was decided another helper would be of great assistance. I wrote a letter to my chum, Claude, back home, saying a job was waiting. I also told him to bring along a cod jigger and a reel of line, as there was a Grand Bank dory on site, and we now could go fishing at least twice weekly, weather permitting. We were very successful each trip out. Fresh fish meals and fish and brewis were appreciated by everyone. The on-site dory was used to offload mail and supplies from a motor boat usually about three times weekly. That boat was our link to the mainland "Marquise" dock. Every three weeks, I was assigned with a requisition in hand to return to Base on the motor boat and get supplies at the American canteen for our American employers. This usually meant staying overnight and finding an empty bed in any bunkhouse. The working crew were busy drilling holes and blasting large rocks from the cliffside, in order to build a landing dock. The carpenters were busy building a frame bunkhouse, which was almost completed, when about 1:00 a.m. a gale, easterly wind and rain and heavy sea washed away the partially finished dock, flattening our cookhouse tent and the two sleeping tents teetered on the brink of the cliff. We all escaped to the safety of the frame bunkhouse. Next day, the wind and rain eased off enough for the work crew to erect the canvas tent. We then got busy cleaning and cooking a late breakfast. Later in the day, work resumed on replacing the wharf again, and the carpenters began building a frame mess hall. Working in the mess hall was long: 10-12 hours daily, seven days a week. Salary: $12.80... per week. One fine Sunday afternoon, we had a couple of hours rest from the cookhouse, so we decided to venture across the island west, where the US Navy was stationed with PT boats. There was no trail to follow, so we blazed a path through the alders and low brush, finally reaching our destination. On the return trek, we strayed off our previous trail a bit, and discovered on the crest of the island a small wooden shed, completely open, facing south. All evidence pointed to a shelter for either sheep or goats that were brought to the island for summer grazing. In November, with winter coming on, and money in our pockets, which we never had much of before, we decided to go home and go back to school. As soon as replacements came, we made the necessary arrangements for leaving Fox Island. A motor boat ferried us back to dockside in Marquise. Much to our surprise, a US Army jeep and driver, with orders to take us to a high army military official quarters, wanting to know why we were quitting and going home. We informed him that we were going back to school. He shook our hands and congratulated us on a job well done, sometimes under adverse conditions, and should we ever return to Base, report to him first. We were not allowed to leave Fox Island while the USS Agusta and HMS Prince of Wales were anchored close by. We didn't know at the time what was going on. In August 1941, during three days of meetings to develop a joint set of principles called the Atlantic Charter, by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister of Britain Winston S. Churchill.   Submitted By: NULL