Second World War
Battle of the Atlantic  - Weapons and Technology

Combatants in the battle of the Atlantic relied on weapons and technology to attack the enemy, to defend themselves, to communicate, and to rescue friends and foes.

Royal Canadian Navy Life Vest

In 1943, the Royal Canadian Navy introduced this pattern of life vest, which largely replaced the inflatable life belt.

The life vest's design incorporated improvements learned through bitter experience. A collar (top) kept an unconscious wearer's head out of the water, while a small blinking red light, missing from this vest, helped rescuers locate survivors. A hook and line attached to the vest allowed survivors to attach themselves to floating objects like life rafts. A groin pad (bottom) helped reduce injuries caused by explosions of depth charges.

Life Vest
CWM 19730289-005