Canada's Merchant Navy

The Merchant Navy. In Canada this past Sunday, the 'First Sunday in May', is the traditional day of remembrance for those that served and died in Canada's Merchant Navy in World War Two. 

Since humans have waged war across a body of water, the merchant navies of these countries have made the ultimate sacrifice. From hauling men and supplies, to transporting ammunition and materials, the merchant mariners have given their all to these war efforts. Canada had only 38 ocean going vessels at wars beginning and over 400 at wars end. She lost over 72 ships to enemy action.

The Canadian war effort was made from the beginning of the war (September 1, 1939) when convoy escorts ( a screen of allied warships to provide protection ) were unknown, to the end of hostilities when submarine hunting and killing was much refined and effective. At the beginning of the war convoys of ships traveling to England with their cargo of men and supplies were subject to attack from Germany's many submarines prowling the shipping lanes. The Germans began to hunt convoys in "wolf packs", small groups of subs, usually 6 but sometimes more. In this manner they would sometimes be able to sink up to 20 ships per convoy. After many months of sinking and dying, the convoys were finally protected to some extent by the Canadian Navy and the US Navy using updated and modified convoy and anti-submarine warfare tactics. Some cargo ships were outfitted with a flight deck and a couple of planes to offer air support because land based planes could only cover the convoy until their fuel supply ran short. With the advent of convoy escorts and long-range fighter and bomber support the "wolf packs" became the hunted, and their effectiveness soon dwindled to nothing.

The first Canadian merchant casualty was Hannah Baird of Québec, one of the eight women killed in action serving with the merchant mariners, she was killed aboard the S.S. Athenia, an unarmed passenger liner,  on September 3, 1939. Of more than 12,000 who served aboard the cargo ships and troop transports in WWII, one in eight died. In all, including those killed in other ways (in POW camps, etc.), 1,600 Canadians died while serving in the Merchant Navy during WWII.

"the Battle of the Atlantic was not won by any Navy or Air Force, it was won by the courage, fortitude and determination of the British and Allied Merchant Navy.", statement made by Commander in Chief, Rear Admiral Leonard Murray, Canadian North Atlantic, at wars end.

The Canadian Merchant Navy also served in the Korean War,

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