Merchant Navy
Not everyone who was at sea during World War One was combatants. In fact there were 505 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians that were known to have served in the Merchant Marine.
The Merchant Navies were established long before World War One, and at the start of World War One they were requisitioned to fill a new and demanding need of highly trained officers and crew. Likewise, in 1939 merchant vessels from the allied nations banded together to form the Allied Merchant Navy. The Merchant Navies helped out by carrying war materials, troops, fuel and ammunition around the world. The ships were also called in cases of troop landings and evacuations. The Merchant Navies fought the dangerous North Atlantic where German U-Boats were waiting for them ready to harm their missions. An estimated 60,000 Allied Merchant Navy men and women lost their lives in World War One and Two so that there would be a consistent flow of goods across the Atlantic.
Who were the Merchant Marines?
The Merchant Marines were an important part of the Allied forces during both World Wars, and many of them lost their lives carrying war materials, troops, fuel and ammunition throughout the world. The crews were typically made up of older men, and young boys, with some as young as 15 years old. There was also a small number of women that served with the Merchant Navy. The Merchant Navy crews were given no official training in survival or shipboard duties but nonetheless survived five years of North Atlantic winds and U-boat assaults with their strength and resolve. These brave men and women operated ships beside navy personnel. However, because the Merchant Navy was a volunteer organization, the men and women did not always get the same treatment as the Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve. Without uniforms to classify them on shore, the Merchant Navy crews did not get the same treatment and respect that their uniformed officers received. The Merchant Navy crews worked daily with the understanding that they had no chance of surviving in the event of a torpedo attack.
The St. John's Daily Star August 22, 1918.
U-boat Attacks on the Merchant Navy
It was not uncommon for there to be U-boat attacks on the Merchant Navy in World War One. This is seen above by a U-boat destroying and sinking the SS Stephano off the shore of Massachusetts. The Stephano was a Newfoundland steamer that had been transporting passengers from St. John's to New York. Luckily no one died in this particular attack as American officers saved everyone on board.
Prisoners of War
Prisoners of war were not uncommon in times of combat. Unluckily for the Merchant Navy, they were not spared this fate as the Germans sometimes took merchant mariners prisoner in World War One. For instance, on June 28, 1918, a U-boat seized the SS Dictator and made its crew prisoners of war. Thomas Fiander, Edgar Banfield, Charles Blagdon, and Thomas Bowridge from Newfoundland were taken from the SS Dictator. The Merchant Navy contributed to the war effort considerably with at least 115 merchant mariners from Newfoundland and Labrador being known to have died in the First World War. The names of our fallen comrades are listed on the memorial at Beaumont Hamel.
Allied Merchant Navy and Marine Institute
The Allied Merchant Navy monument was created for the Allied Merchant Navy men and women who lost their lives in World War Two. The black marble-topped monument contains the names of the 332 men and one woman who lost their lives. It also contains the crests of a number of Allied Countries and the names of 333 Newfoundlanders.
The monument (pictured left) is located between two buildings at the Marine Institute in St. John's, Newfoundland. It is in clear view of the St. John's Narrows where many merchant seamen sailed to their deaths supporting their country. The St. John's harbour was the home port for naval vessels which gave convoy protection on the North Atlantic. This port was a refuge for torpedo-damaged ships by wrecked ships of the Allied Merchant Navies landing in St. John's. The crew would then rest until they had to return to their home ports or be dispatched out as crew on other ships.
Honouring Our Troops at Marine Institute
To pay homage to the Merchant Navy veterans who sacrificed their lives during World War One and World War Two, we hold a ceremony every September at the Allied Merchant Navy monument. The merchant Navy is rarely included in these services elsewhere because of the non-military status of the Navy, and Marine Institute wants to continue honouring the contribution made to the war by the Merchant Navy by holding this ceremony annually.