Merchant Navy Day

Unsung heroes indeed. I am extremely anti-war and appalled at the loss of life in WW2 (and other wars). All should be remembered of course. However the seamen of the merchant navy faced terrible hurdles in getting supplies to this country.  By 1941, 779 ships had been lost and 16,654 seamen killed or missing.

To make matters worse, until 1941, crews of the British merchant navy ceased to be paid the moment their ships were attacked and sunk. Any time they spent in lifeboats or rafts did not count for pay as the shipping lines that employed them did not require their services any more!