|
In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
A son of Enos and Sophia (née Tanner) Naas. Husband of Beatrice G. Burton. James Naas is buried in the Hillcrest Cemetery, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.
Fisheries Officer Retires After 41 Years of Service Captain Wallace Naas Honored at Banquet by Fellow Fisheries Officers
With 42 years in the public service, Capt. Wallace J. Naas, Local Fisheries Inspector was superannuated on March 31st following a long period in the service of the Department of Fisheries and the Canadian Navy.
Born in Lunenburg in 1883 the son of Mr. and Mrs. Enos Naas, he went shore and deep sea fishing at the age of 15. In 1904 he sailed with Capt. Thomas Backman aboard the schooner "Arabia" and the following year with Capt. Obed Silver on the "Palatia."
On March 26th, 1906 Captain Naas entered the Fisheries Protective Service as an Able Seaman aboard the Canadian Government ship "Canada" and served on the Atlantic seaboard from Maine to Labrador including four years in the Bay of Fundy while stationed in St. John. He also served one winter on the Pacific Coast. He rose rapidly in rank going getting his Mate's papers in 1908. In telling us of his service aboard the fisheries ship, Captain Naas said that the discipline was ridgid but he enjoyed it. "A well disciplined ship is a happy ship" he told us "and it brought out the best that was in a man."
Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, early in 1915 he was loaned to the Canadian Navy and commanded Mine Sweepers until sometime after the end of the War, picking up floating mines along the coast.
In 1918 he received his Master's papers and when his service was completed with the Navy he returned to the Department of Marine and Fisheries Officer in the Lunenburg District which post he held until his retirement.
In 1910 Captain Naas married Beatrice Grace Burton, a native of England whose father was serving M. and Mrs. Naas have four sons and two daughters.
The four sons served in the Canadian Army during World War II, Wallace Jr., Laurie and Douglas serving overseas in several theatres of war while George was attached to Military Headquarters at Halifax.
The daughters are Ethel of Sherbrooke, Quebec, and Marjorie, Mrs. Elmer Josey of Halifax.
An active and very interested member of the Local Branch of the Canadian Legion, Captain Naas has been chairman of the Employment Committee of the Branch giving much of his time to the welfare of his comrades.
When the Neptune Sea Cadet Corps was formed in Lunenburg, Captain Naas became its first Commanding Officer giving the boys the benefit of his long service at sea and laying the good example of clean living and fair play with their fellow men.
On Thursday evening he was honored by twenty-two of his fellow Fisheries Officers who came from all parts of the province to pay tribute to their good friends. At a banquet at the Hillside Hotel at which James P. Buchanan, Senior Fisheries Inspector for Queens-Lunenburg acted as Toastmaster and presented Mr. Naas with a suitably engraved clock on behalf of those present.
Many of his fellow Officers took the opportunity to speak in glowing terms of him as a public servant and as a gentleman.
We join his many friends in wishing Captain Naas continued health that he may enjoy many years of retirement from the service he served so well for so long. (Wed., April 7th, 1948 Lunenburg Progress Enterprise // Researched by George Newbury)
Ships served in: HMCS NIOBE - Appointed to NIOBE 1915 for Special Services, Halifax (The Nauticapedia) PV II - Appointed to PV II 18 Jul 1917 as Commanding Officer TR-8 Appointed to TR-8 26 Jun 1918 as Commanding Officer
|
