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.

Port of New York Identity Card, Ernest Shackleton

This Port of New York identification card was issued to Ernest Shackleton, a Canadian merchant mariner who escaped from German imprisonment.

During the Second World War, New York was a busy port for Allied merchant shipping, and cards like this were issued to identify sailors like Shackleton, whose name has been misspelled. In February 1941, Shackleton was among those rescued and captured by the German battlecruiser Gneisenau after it sank the Canadian freighter A.D. Huff. Brought to occupied France, Shackleton and Percy Coe, another A.D. Huff sailor, escaped and reached Britain via neutral Spain. The remainder of the Huff's crew remained prisoners until April 1945.

George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19990204-004