Second World War (1939-1945)
The Navy in European Waters  - Coastal Operations: United Kingdom and European Waters

The Royal Canadian Navy, employed on coastal patrols, convoy escort duty, and support operations, made an important contribution to the naval war that raged in the waters around the United Kingdom and off the nearby European coast.

HMCS Athabaskan Survivors in Captivity

During their captivity, some 70 members of HMCS Athabaskan's crew captured by German forces signed this mimeographed - or copied - document.

Printed on the reverse side of a commemorative image of Athabaskan, the document provides space for survivors from each of the nine provinces in wartime Canada. More than 80 members of Athabaskan's crew were rescued and captured by German forces. Most of them wound up in prisoner of war camps, while a few seriously injured sailors were sent to a hospital where they were later liberated by American troops.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19870005-001