The Second World War
The Merchant Navy  - The Merchant Navy

Between 1939 and 1945, Canadian and Allied merchant ships and their crews transported personnel, munitions, weapons, and food across the world's oceans as part of the Allied war effort. Enemy action sank some 70 Canadian and Newfoundland merchant vessels. Over 1,600 Canadians and Newfoundlanders, including eight women, were killed.

St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland, March 1945

This late-war photograph of St. John's Harbour, Newfoundland, shows a merchant ship (background) with a tug alongside (centre).

Ports like St. John's were important for merchant ships, their cargoes, and their crews. Major ports were arrival and departure points for convoys, as well providing facilities for loading and unloading cargo. They were also important centres for repair and maintenance, and were often home to "manning pools" established to provide sailors for merchant ship crews.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 20070003-010