The spelling of the Cramm brothers’ surname vary in records including naval, church, census and newspapers. Variations include Cran, Crann, Crom, Cram and Cramm. Today most family descendants spell the surname as Cramm, while others insist it should be Cram.
James was born on April 12, 1887, and his younger brother Joseph on Oct 12, 1889. They were both sons of George and Bernette Cramm, and they spent their childhood at Hatchet Cove.
James enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on March 1908 and served seven years before the war, completing a total 228 days of naval training at the HMS Calypso. An article, entitled “Newfoundland Naval Contingent,” appearing in the Evening Telegram on June 3, 1911, confirms James travelled overseas on the SS Mongolian with a contingent of 20 Royal Naval Reservist to attend the coronation of King George V. Also, among the sailors was William Peddle of Hodge's Cove.
Joseph signed his application for enlistment during March of 1911 and completed 112 days before the outbreak of the Great War. Both James and Joseph responded to the Royal Proclamation in August 1914 and reported for duty at the HMS Calypso in St. John's.
Joseph was deployed to the Royal Canadian Navy and assigned to HMCS Niobe. He sustained a serious injury to his left knee three weeks later. According to his naval record, the accident left him unfit for further naval service. He was sent home on Nov. 5, ending his naval career.
Joseph married Emelina, daughter of Eleazer and Elizabeth Benson of St. Jones Within, on Feb. 16, 1915. Their first three children were born at Hatchet Cove, but the remaining eight were born at Goobies Siding (Goobies) after Joseph moved his family. He is listed with nine children in the 1935 census and 11 by the 1945 census. He passed away on March 25, 1942, and his buried at Goobies Pentecostal Cemetery.
On the Oropesa
James was deployed overseas to HMS Vivid I on Nov. 6, 1914. He spent four weeks receiving further training before being drafted to the armed merchant cruiser Oropesa, along with two other sailors from the Southwest Arm area, Benjamin Smith and Eli Seward.
In March 1915, Oropesa was responsible for the sinking a German submarine. Shortly after sinking the submarine, James was promoted to leading seaman.
James was re-assigned from the ship on Oct. 30, 1915. The ship was renamed HMS Champagne and torpedoed on Oct. 9, 1917. All three men had escaped the clutches of death.
He was drafted to the HMS Avenger on March 14, 1916. The ship was an armed merchant cruiser assigned to the 10th Cruiser Squadron, Northern Patrol. The ship's log records a notation that on Nov. 20, 1916, at 11:15 p.m. that one leading seaman (likely James) and one able seaman from NRNR was discharged to Chatham.
He was then assigned to HMS Pembroke and remained there until May 24, 1917. In June 1917, HMS Avenger was struck by a torpedo and sank, killing one seaman. James had escaped death again.
He received furlough and returned to HMS Briton on May 25. After returning from furlough, he was assigned, along with several other men from the Southwest Arm area, to the HMS Caesar located at Bermuda Naval Station. The ship was serving as a guard and gunnery training ship.
He remained there for five months before being transferred overseas, along with Robert Balsom, to the HMS Pembroke. He remained there between November 1917 and April 1918. His final year overseas was spent assigned to HMS President III and Vivid III. On March 12, 1919, he received orders that he was being sent home to the HMS Briton.
On May 12, 1919, he received his demobilization papers and returned home to his family at Queen's Cove. His wife Jemima passed away on June 22, 1923, but no record of his death could be located.
Next week's issue will examine sailors who enlisted from St. Jones Within.
