The merchant marine were the unsung heroes of world war ii these daring seamen kept the allied troops armed and fed while at the mercy of german uboats. The merchant navy seaman pocket manual 19391945 the. In 1943, at age 20, bill jopes became a merchant marine cadet, and after a short period of basic training, went to sea, since that was part of the curriculum. If you have time to read only one book about the merchant marine in world war ii, john bunkers heroes in dungarees is a terrific read. Britains merchant fleet was the largest in the world during both world wars. One interesting note you could add to your ww2 site is the first sinking of a japanese surface ship by the us navy in the war the first sub was sunk by the ward dd9 at pearl. Both organisations recognise that many people with a merchant navy background want to see their donations, gifts in memory and legacies used specifically in support of british merchant navy seafarers and their families. The merchant navy at war, 193945 first edition by peter elphick isbn. The us merchant marine all told numbered over 200,000. Merchant navy the merchant navy is the maritime register of the united kingdom, and describes the seagoing commercial interests of ukregistered ships and their crews. Dads navy the untold story of the merchant navy in ww2. The merchant navy at war 19391945 peter elphick on. The story of the american merchant marine in world war ii, by john bunker, naval institute press. 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.
The german navy commenced world war ii with fiftysix submarines, of which only twenty four were suitable for operations in the atlantic. British merchant seamen in the second world war by. Dutch eylders, on board the ss new amsterdam, flagship of the holland america line. Heroes in dungarees and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
Tragically, 30,248 merchant seamen lost their lives during world war two, a death rate proportionally higher than in any of the armed forces. Details of merchant ships can also be found in books on specific operations, such. World war ii casualties naval history and heritage command. The memoirs of a merchant marine during wwii 19391945.
During the second world war, merchant vessels were commissioned into naval service as hospital ships, supply ships and armed merchant cruisers. Before pearl harbor and americas entry into the war, american merchant. Merchant marine in wwii and battle of the atlantic. He was born to a family of four in a small thameside village which at the time was almost completely rural sheep and pigs at the end of the lane and. As the outbreak of world war ii edged closer in 1939, the british merchant fleet remained the largest in the world, employing some 200,000 men and women. They may have been torpedoed, have suffered marine casualties, or have gone down before the guns of some fast surface raider. The heroic story of the united states merchant marine.
Second world war the canadian navy canadian armed forces. At all times the merchant navy was in the frontline from. World war two there is a wide range of material both in printed and manuscript form. Survivors of a torpedoed merchant ship aboard hmcs arvida at st. Never did it play a greater role than in world war ii, and a glance back at what. After the outbreak of war, germany declared that every vessel of the british mercantile marine was to be regarded as a warship, meaning that the sailors of the merchant navy faced tremendous risks. Winning the battle of the atlantic was critical to britains survival in ww2. The worlds largest shipping company when germany invaded norway on april 91940, the norwegian ships that were in allied waters at the time were requisitioned by royal norwegian government, which early on in the war managed to escape to the u. I could see young men and women joining the armed forces and going off to war to fight for their country. At all costs has the perfect mix of romance, adventure, and handsome american heroes, in a brilliantlytold story of a critical battle of world war ii. Before the war ended, it is estimated that some 60,000 allied merchant mariners died in service 333 of whom were from newfoundland and labrador.
Determining the exact number of fatalities, however, is problematic. The stories of child evacuees, survivors of the holocaust and civilians who experienced the blitz of british cities are featured in many of these collections. When i was a young boy growing up in strathroy in 1939, canada entered the war. During ww ii the united states merchant marine played an early and vital role in the allied war effort.
Where to find merchant navy records personnel records available to the public are now held by the national archives tna, formerly known as the public record office, the website has helpful research guides. A short history of the merchant navy imperial war museums. Sources for ship histories merchant navy history is scattered through various sources in a number of libraries and archives, and what exists and the location of that information depends on the type of vessel, its history and the period. British and german submarine statistics of world war ii. Recently lou wrote to carol cooper and told her, i have just found this site cofepow while i was trying to find out some information about prisoners of war under the japanese in singapore of which i was one. The allied merchant navies in world war ii provided a vital but often forgotten service to their countries war effort.
Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. Merchant marine survivors of world war ii and millions of other books are. The bureau of naval personnels official list of the navy s world war ii casualties resulting from enemy action is a 1947 ibm printout arranged chronologically by the campaigns as listed in the secretary of the navy s navy and marine corps awards manual. Sources of information on us navy casualties in world war ii. Did you know a war raged along the australian coastline during ww2 killing hundreds of men. A story of a merchant seaman 194245 by former british merchant seaman lou barron 92yrs, now residing in new zealand. Stories from the sea have always fascinated people from all areas. Apr 21, 2016 the merchant marine has played a critical role in every major american military conflict since the revolution.
Below is a collection of stories and anecdotes from the merchant navy in ww2. Japanese naval and merchant shipping losses during world war ii by all. The uboat war in world war two kriegsmarine, 19391945 and world war one kaiserliche marine, 19141918 and the allied efforts to counter the threat. Several ships went out independently and were never heard from again. Second world war, merchant navy the term merchant navy refers to a nations commercial shipping and crews. A countrys merchant navy is made up of its commercial and trading ships, and their crews.
We all had to have ration cards to buy most groceries and gasoline. The silent service in wwii is a submarine book that has been a long time overdue. Jun, 2018 the title merchant navy was granted by king george v after the first world war to recognise the contribution made by merchant sailors. At the outbreak of war, the british merchant navy was the largest in the world, and up to 185,000 men and women served during the course of the war, some as young as 14. British merchant seamen at war, 19391945 reprint by bernard edwards. A world war ii merchant seaman, john bunker takes a thorough look at the. Jun 25, 2007 however, nearly all fiction where the merchant navy is the subject is complete rubbish, particularly by authors who are exrn, as most authors, even when they have done some research, how no idea how merchant ships operate or run. Richard woodman understands the sea and seamen and tells the story without. In 1939, a third of the worlds merchant ships were british, and there were some 200,000 sailors. I have never contributed to any articles here before but would like to tell the story of the merchant navy boy not just because he was my father but because some stories just need to be told.
The merchant navy fund is a collaborative initiative by the merchant navy welfare board and the charity seafarers uk. Six merchant ships, all carrying armed guards, are known to have encountered armed raiders. Browse through the categories below to find stories and photographs concerning major aspects of world war two, and the locations where key. Veteran stan carter describes role of merchant navy in ww2. The number of armed united states merchant ships lost to armed raiders is not definitely known. Peter elphick tells the story of the merchant navy in a series of individual accounts. Oct 16, 2017 buy jews in the merchant navy in the second world war. Ninety percent of everything takes you inside the invisible industry of merchant marine, revealing untold stories of the brave seafarers. These stories may contain references to other themes. In the five and a half years of the war, german shipyards built 1,156 uboats, of which 784 were lost from enemy action or other causes. This book tells the story of just a few of these quiet heroes. The memoirs of a merchant marine during wwii 19391945 gg. Eventually, thousands of canadians served aboard hundreds of canadian merchant navy ships, notably the park ships, the canadian equivalent of the american liberty ships. Wwii navy from boys to men second world war diaries.
Mv east wales, both predecessors being sunk in ww2 and owned by gibbs brothers. The story of the american merchant marine in world war ii. May 27, 2016 the merchant marine were the unsung heroes of world war ii these daring seamen kept the allied troops armed and fed while at the mercy of german uboats. This is distributed across a number of libraries and archives and the researcher should be prepared to seek out material that addresses the particulars of the research problem. The merchant navy has never really got the recognition it so rightly deserved during ww2. The stories world war ii us navy armed guard and world.
There are 47,000 stories in the ww2 peoples war archive. Great britains merchant navy suffered proportionately the highest casualties of any of its branches of service in the second world war. Navy cruise books yearbookstyle books detailing sailors and others on board u. Wwii missing in action or lost at sea more than 80,000 names of military personnel reported missing in action or lost at sea during world war ii. Sea lanes in wartime the american experience 17751945 2nd edition. There is no shortage of us based sub memoirs and books based on the history of a particular submarine but there are few books that bring together the stories of the typical wwii us sub sailor.
Find out about the untold story of merchant seamens contribution to the war and how their families were. Jan 06, 2020 opposite to most other books dealing with the subject edwards is not focusing on the big story of numbers and tonnage of ships sunk by nazi uboats and surface vessels or the total cargo volume transported by the merchant marine to support the war efforts in nearly all theaters, but focuses on the british merchant mariners themselves and their. In 1939, britains merchant fleet was the largest in the world, with 33 per. The merchant navy seaman pocket manual 19391945 the pocket. King george v bestowed the title of merchant navy on the british merchant shipping fleets following their service. In fact, the navy was the main thrust of canadas war effort in the first two years of the conflict as german uboats again made cutting off allied shipping a top priority and the allied navies had to find a way to protect the merchant vessels crossing the atlantic ocean so supplies could reach europe. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This book details the huge losses of merchant ships and their crews in ww2. The merchant marine were the unsung heroes of world war ii.
Unlike the armed forces, the merchant navy did not maintain consistent records of its recruits and casualties. Where to find merchant navy records imperial war museums. This book tells the epic story of the british merchant seamen during the war. The book is broken into 3 sections, early war, mid and late war. After the first world war king george v, in recognition of the contribution made to the british war effort by merchant ships, granted the title of merchant navy to nonmilitary sailors. Master and commander by patrick obrian, post captain by patrick obrian, mr. During these twenty months the war at sea passed through what the author calls an intermediate. World war 2, volume one by martin stephen, firedrake. Jopes is a naturalborn storyteller i couldnt put this book down. Merchant navy vessels fly the red ensign and are regulated by the maritime and coastguard agency mca.
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