the merchant marine
Canada's Merchant Marine (historically called the Canadian Merchant Navy) operates as the civilian fleet of merchant vessels that carry cargo and passengers nationally and internationally, and functions as a vital fourth branch of service during wartime.
Established on September 10, 1939, the Canadian Merchant Navy supplied Allied forces during the Battle of the Atlantic. The essential and dangerous role played by the officers and sailors of Canada’s Merchant Navy during the Battle of the Atlantic. These men sailed across the ocean on defenceless, sometimes slow ships, stalked by enemy submarines. When a freighter or a tanker found her cut off from the convoy, she became an easy prey. The men aboard ships that carried dangerous cargoes, such as gas or explosives, knew that, if attacked, their chances of survival were slim.
Some 12,000 sailors served in the Merchant Navy of Canada during WWII across numerous voyages. Of that number, 1,451 lost their lives on Canadian-flagged ships. —one of the highest casualty rates among Canadian services. Among the 1,461 were three Bayham natives: Fireman John Franklin (Jack) Ball, Fireman Walter Brackenbury and Third Engineer Robert F. McGaw
Following decades of delay, veterans received official recognition and benefits in the 1990s and 2000s, with September 3 designated as Merchant Navy Veterans Day.
