When war broke out, Canadian navy personnel amounted to just 3,684 officers and crew, including RCN Reserve and Volunteer Reserve.

Within a year, more than 10,000 had mustered in and by 1944, Its numerical strength peaked at 95,705 officers and men serving in 378 warships. In total, 110,000 men and women served in the RCN during the War, every one of them a volunteer.

The RCN lost 1,965 men and 24 ships during the War, most of them in the Atlantic.

The Merchant Navy lost 1,629 Canadians and Newfoundlanders, or others who served on ships registered in Canada or Newfoundland. It includes the names of eight women. Many other Canadians, whose names are unknown, died serving on ships of Allied merchant navies. Also, 198 Canadian seamen were taken prisoner when their ships were captured or sunk, often in the very early years of the war. Many spent more than four years interned and eight died as prisoners of war or during repatriation.

We will remember them...

Sunday May 5th Eastview Legion celebrated our annual Commemoration of the Battle of the Atlantic. Thank you to our MC Bill Redmond for guiding us through the history & Sargeant at Arms Raymond Hotte for guiding our wreath presenters.

Wreaths were layed for Canadian Armed Forces, Army, Navy, Airforce, Merchant Marine Service and the Legion .

Thank you to our presenters, Henry McCambridge, Richard Campbell, Leo Bédard, Michel Vincent & Angela Bourassa .

The branch bell rang out 24 times in honour of the Canadian ships lost in the Battle of the Atlantic. The following is a list of HMC ships that were lost.