Able Seaman John Richard Cumming
Royal Naval Reserve, SS Nascopie
Died in Military Service
Date of Birth: 1883
Place of Birth: Teignmouth, Devon
Date of Death: Died 16 November 1916 aged 33
Buried: Buried in St John's Anglican Cemetery, Newfoundland. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth.
Awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Seaman John Richard Cumming age 33.
John was born on 2 February 1884; baptised on 2 November 1884 his parents were John and Annette Cumming of 2 Parson Street, his father was a fisherman who had been born in Shaldon.
In 1891 he was living with his family in Globe Lane.
On 1911 census he is working as fisherman and living with his aunt and uncle Mark Mason at 17 Willey Lane.
John served with Royal Naval Reserve, service number 7029.A.(Dev) His naval record reports that he was reported absent from SS “Nascopie"on 17 November 1916.
His body was found alongside the vessel at S. Johns, Newfoundland on 20th November and his death recorded as “Killed or died by means other than disease, accident or enemy action”.
Different dates are recorded on naval record but death recorded as 16 November 1916 on gravestone and CWGC certificate.
Buried in St John's Anglican Cemetery, Newfoundland. Remembered on Seafront Memorial and St. James’ Church Memorial Window, Teignmouth.
Photograph | S. S. "Nascopie" at sealing grounds, 1927 | MP-1984.127.14
SS Nascopie
Nascopie, a steamer icebreaker, was designed and built in Scotland.
From July 1912, Nascopie made 34 voyages through the Hudson Strait (Canadian Arctic) as a supply ship for Hudson’s Bay Company’s northern outposts.
In 1916,the Hudson Bay Company chartered Nascopie to the French Government as a supply ship.
During that time she was used to bring wheat from Russia to France, and send back munitions and war supplies.
