style="font-size: larger;" | Canadian Merchant Navy
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Canada, like several other
CommonwealthThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
nations, created its own
Merchant Navy in a large-scale effort during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Within hours of Canada's declaration of war on September 10, 1939, the Canadian government passed laws to create the Canadian Merchant Navy setting out rules and controls to provide a workforce for wartime shipping. The World War Two Merchant Navy greatly expanded a similar effort in World War One known as the Canadian Mercantile Marine. The Canadian Merchant Navy played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic bolstering the allies merchant fleet due to high losses in the British Merchant Navy. Eventually thousands of Canadians served aboard hundreds of Canadian Merchant Navy ships, notably the "
Park ShipPark Ships were merchant steamships constructed for Canada’s Merchant Navy during World War II. Park ships were the Canadian equivalent of the American Liberty Ships and the British Fort ships. All three shared a similar design by J.L...
s", the Canadian equivalent of the American "
Liberty ShipLiberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...
s".
The Battle of the Atlantic was not won by any Navy or any Air Force, it was won by the courage, fortitude and determination of the British and Allied Merchant Navy - Rear Admiral Leonard W. MurrayRear Admiral Leonard Warren Murray, CB, CBE was a officer of the Royal Canadian Navy who played a significant role in the Battle of the Atlantic. He commanded the Newfoundland Escort Force from 1941–1943, and from 1943 to the end of the war was Commander-in-Chief, Canadian Northwest Atlantic...
A school was established at
St. Margaret's BaySt. Margarets Bay is a Canadian bay located on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia on the border of the Halifax Regional Municipality and Lunenburg County .-Description:...
,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to train sailors for the Canadian Merchant Navy, who became known as "Merchant Mariners." Manning Pools, or barracks, were built in major Canadian ports to house Merchant Mariners. Considered a fourth branch of the Canadian military, after the
Royal Canadian NavyThe history of the Royal Canadian Navy goes back to 1910, when the naval force was created as the Naval Service of Canada and renamed a year later by King George V. The Royal Canadian Navy is one of the three environmental commands of the Canadian Forces...
,
Canadian ArmyThe Canadian Army as such originally only existed under that name from November 1940 to February 1968. However, the term has been traditionally applied to the ground forces of Canada's military from Confederation in 1867 to the present...
, and the
Royal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
, the Canadian Merchant Navy suffered the highest casualty rate of the four services.
After the war, Canadian Merchant Navy veterans were denied veterans benefits and official recognition for decades. This was not corrected until the 1990s and many individual cases remain unresolved. A commemorative plaque in Halifax, unveilled in 1967, describes the Canadian Merchant Navy's duties as including "the transportation of troops and supplies to the Applied armies and food for the United Kingdom, extremely dangerous work which resulted in considerable losses."
An important gesture in 2001 was the creation of Merchant Navy Remembrance Day by the Canadian Parliament which designated September 3 as a day to recognize the contributions and sacrifice of Canadian merchant mariners. Monuments to the Canadian Merchant Navy were erected in several Canadian cities, including at the
Maritime Museum of the AtlanticThe Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Similar to the CMM Veterans status, World War II
United States Merchant MarineThe United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
Veterans were also denied veterans benefits and status until 1988.
Canadian-Registered
- Beacon Hill
- Elk Island Park
- Erik Boye (HX-48)
- Magog (HX-52)
- Waterloo
- Thorold
- Kenordoc (SC-3)
- St.Malo (HX-77)
- Trevisa (SC-7)
- Maplecourt (SC-20)
- Canadian Cruiser
- A.D. Huff
- J.B. White (HX-112)
- Canadolite
- Portadoc
- Europa
- Collingdoc
- Vancouver Island
- USS Proteus (AC-9)
The collier USS Proteus was laid down on 31 October 1911, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, and launched on 14 September 1912. With the threat of war looming, she was commissioned on 9 July 1913, to the United States Navy, Master Robert J...
- USS Nereus (AC-10)
USS Nereus was one of four Proteus-class colliers built for the United States Navy during World War I. Named for Nereus, an aquatic deity from Greek mythology, she was the second U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name...
- Shinai
- Lady Hawkins
- Montrolite
- Empress of Asia
- Victolite
- George L. Torian
- Lennox
- Sarniadoc
- Robert W. Pomeroy
- Vineland
- James E. Newsom
- Lady Drake
- Mildred Pauline
- Mont Louis
- Calgarolite
- Torondoc
- Troisdoc
- Frank B. Baird
- Liverpool Packet
- Mona Marie
- Lucille M.
- Prescodoc
- Princess Marguerite
- Donald Stewart
- Lord Strathcona
- John A. Holloway
- Oakton(Q533)
- Norfolk
- Carolus
- Bic Island (HX-212)
- Rose Castle
- Chr. J. Kampmann (TAG-18)
- Angelus
- Jasper Park
- Watuka
- Albert C. Field
- Cornwallis
- Point Pleasant Park
- Taber Park (FS-1753)
- Avondale Park
- Watkins F. Nisbet
- Mondoc
- R.J. Cullen
- Hamildoc
- Bic Island
- Europa
- Lady Nelson
- Cornwallis
- Nipawin Park (SH-194)
- Silver Star Park
- Green Hill Park
- Kootenay Park
- Salt Lake Park
- Westbank Park
- Donald Roach
Ships built in Canada and crewed by Canadian Sailors and named after Parks in Canada
- 10,000 ton Dry Cargo: 117
- 4,700 ton Dry Cargo: 32
- 10,000 ton Tankers: 13
- 3,600 ton Tankers: 6
- 2,000 ton Tanker: 1
- 10,000 ton Dry Cargo Fort Ships built for Britain: 97
- 10,000 ton Stores Issuing Ships for Britain: 12
- Total ships built in Canada 1942 to 1945: 278
British-Registered
- Beaverburn (OA-84)
- Empress of Britain
- Beaverford (HX-84)
- Beaverbrae
- Beaverdale
- Caledonian Monarch
- Duchess of Atholl
- Empress of Canada
- Duchess of York
- Fort Athabasca
- Fort Bellingham (JW-56A)
- Fort St.Nicholas
- Fort Missanabie
- Fort Norfolk
- Fort Maisonneuve
- Empress of Japan
- Fort Fidler
- Fort McPherson
- Fort Gloucester
- Montrose
- Lady Somers
- Soreldoc
- Caribou
See also
- Hal C. Banks
Harold Chamberlain "Hal" Banks from Waterloo, Iowa was a controversial labour union leader in Canada...
- Merchant ship
- Seafarers International Union of Canada
External links