Canada's Naval History

The Second World War
The Merchant Navy - Serving with the Merchant Navy

During the Second World War, Canadian and Allied merchant mariners faced the constant hard work of operating and maintaining their ships, the threat of enemy attack, and the dangers of accidents and storms.

Artifact Record

Engine Room, SS Kelowna Park (CAN)

Peter Whalley's work depicts the dimly-lit engine room of the Canadian-built and operated freighter SS Kelowna Park.

Ships required work around the clock in many locations, including their engine rooms, where crew members operated and maintained engines located in the depths of the vessel. The Kelowna Park, which entered service in 1944, was typical of the hundreds of merchant ships built in Canada during the Second World War. The dark interior portrayed here suggests the close confines and gruelling work of operating and maintaining a merchant ship.

Engine Room, SS Kelowna Park (CAN)
Drawn by Peter Graham Whalley
Beaverbrook Collection of War Art
CWM 19970014-016