This year marks the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest battle of the Second World War. Instrumental to the war effort over the course of this six year battle was Canada's Merchant Navy. On October 14 a virtual Merchant Navy/Royal Canadian Navy commemoration ceremony will be held at the Royal Canadian Navy Monument located in Ottawa ON Canada at 11:00 a.m. This observance will be ‘live-streamed' on the Royal Canadian Navy Facebook page.
In 1939 when the conflict began, Canada had 38 merchant ships at its disposal with a total of only 290,000 tonnes cargo capacity. The Canadian Government knew that the limited number of ships in operation would be unable to meet the intense demand of Great Britain if they were to succeed. Therefore plans to expand the Merchant Navy were made and the Canadian people rose to meet this exceptional task.
In an effort to bridge the gap, all 133 ships of the Great Lakes fleet was transferred to ocean convoy duties in addition to ship construction. By the end of the war, Canadian shipyards had produced 403 cargo ships, a significant number of which were Canadian-flagged.
The importance of the Canadian Merchant Navy as a lifeline to Britain could not be overstated. It was estimated that a 10,000-tonne merchant ship could provide enough “foodstuffs” to feed 225,000 people for a week. Cargo carried by the fleet included everything from clothing, fuel, steel, aluminum, lumber, aircraft, tanks,…
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