Allied Merchant Navy of World War II:
LINKS Page, Part One

Canadian-Based Sites

Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans This website by the South-Western Ontario Branch of the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Association (CMNVA) is dedicated to the men and women of the Canadian Merchant Navy who died in the service of their country. As well as providing a history of the Merchant Navy, the site also has updated news and current information of interest to veterans and their families. The webmasters welcome comments and stories from their readers.

Veterans Affairs Canada This government site has all kinds of information of interest to veterans and others. To start with, there is the Canadian Virtual War Memorial which displays the Canadian Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance--W.W. II along with all the Books of Remembrance which are housed in the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, Ottawa. The Veterans Affairs site also has a useful Merchant Navy Data Base which is searchable by a seaman's name or the name of a ship. Excerpts from the fascinating War Diary of Frank Curry, who served in the RCN aboard the Canadian corvette, HMCS Kamsack, are also available. For Pension and related information check out the Merchant Navy Client Information Page.

The National Archives of Canada NAC now provides online access to the archival heritage of Canada with their research tool, Archivia Net.

The Naval Museum of Alberta This museum, which pays tribute to all our merchant and naval seamen, is dedicated to the RCN's only WWII recipient of the Victoria Cross -- naval pilot Lieutenant Robert Hampton Gray. The Research Library and Archives contains a copy of the Canadian Flyers Book of Remembrance as well as the official WWII convoy sailing documents obtained from the British Admiralty. The email address is: navalweb@navalmuseum.ab.ca

Naval Museum of Québec This museum, established in 1995 as the first naval museum in the province, is located in Québec city, Québec. The museum is dedicated to remembering Québec's naval heritage, particularly that of the Battle of the St. Lawrence and that of the Naval Reserve of Canada. One of the museum's prized possessions is a porthole from July 1942 Battle of the Atlantic victim SS Frederika Lensen.

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this museum documents the maritime heritage of the province. Three of the museum's major permanent exhibits are "Halifax Wrecked: The Story of the 1917 Halifax Explosion", "North Atlantic Convoy: The World War Two Struggle Against German U-Boats" and "Titanic: The Unsinkable Ship".

Vancouver Maritime Museum Located in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the principal museum of Canada's West Coast, this museum focusses on the heritage, culture and natural history of the Vancouver area. The museum is home to the legendary St. Roch, which during WWII became the first ship to traverse the Northwest Passage in both directions.

North Vancouver Museum and Archives This British Columbia museum has an extensive collection of artifacts, documents and photographs which highlight the history of Vancouver's North Shore. Be sure to visit the SS Cape Breton (ex-HMS Flamborough Head) section to learn about Canada's last "10,000-tonner" which was built at the nearby Burrard Dry Dock yard.

Naval Museum of Manitoba This Winnipeg-based museum preserves the memories of Canada's Navy during times of war and peace. Features include a searchable database of RCN Ships, a lively Discussion Forum, a history of The Battle of the Atlantic, a handy Links Page and Robert C. Fisher's invaluable List of WWII Canadian Merchant Ship Losses.

Rob Fisher's Naval History.ca Canadian Merchant Ship Losses, 1939-1945, Rob also provides his Canadian Warship Losses, 1939-1945 and U-Boats Destroyed by Canadian Forces, 1939-1945.

Canadian War Museum The Canadian War Museum, located in Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national military history museum . The museum is trying to build up their Merchant Navy collection and would appreciate donations of artifacts including clothing, photos, letters, maps, medals, navigational instruments, etc.

Canadian Navy of Yesterday and Today This page, written by Sandy McClearn of Liverpool, Nova Scotia, is part of the historical Haze Gray and Underway Naval History and Photography (formerly US Naval & Shipbuilding Museum) Site. There are many naval & maritime links of special interest to Canadians.

Jervis Bay--Ross Memorial Park This site which is part of the Heritage Resources, Saint John website, was developed by New Brunswick Community College students and their instructor, Joe Marriott in order to commemorate the heroic men of the Armed Merchant Cruiser (AMC) HMS Jervis Bay and the CPR freighter S.S.Beaverford. On November 5th, 1940, both ships sacrificed themselves to save others in Convoy HX-84 from the German pocket battleship, Admiral Scheer. The beautiful Ross Memorial Park in Saint John, N.B., was created by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #53, and is a living memorial to all our WWII seamen.

War Amps of Canada This organization, started in 1918 to serve amputee veterans of WWI, now offers innovative programs to all amputees. As well, under the leadership of its chief Executive Officer, Cliff Chadderton, a Companion of the Order of Canada, the War Amps have championed the cause of all Canadian veterans, including those of the Merchant Navy and the Hong Kong POW's. A video on the Merchant Navy, entitled Sail or Jail, is now available.

The Lifeline of the World This site, sponsored by the Halifax/Dartmouth Branch of the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Association, covers many interesting topics and provides a wide range of maritime links. There is a special "Missing Merchant Marine/Navy/Seamen" section as well as information on Canada's only Merchant Navy/Marine Museum Display which has being set up in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, by MN Veteran, Cyril E. Caines.

Leslie H. Russell, Merchant Seaman In this fascinating site, Leslie Russell writes of his experiences in the British and Canadian Merchant Navies between 1936 and 1946. Leslie first went to sea as a 14-year-old Bridge Boy aboard the liner, Aurania, and during the next 10 years he served on a variety of ships, including the Nolisement, El Mirlo, Fort Frobisher, and Mount Maxwell Park. The site has been created by Leslie's son, Eric.

Canadian Convoy Signalmen of WWII This site, created by Royal Canadian Navy veteran, A.W.G. (Bert) Laing, lists the names of the RCN Convoy Signalmen and Telegraphists who served aboard merchant ships in the North Atlantic convoys. Before transferring to the Convoy Signalmen/ Telegraphists branch of the RCN, Bert served on the Canadian corvette, HMCS Moosejaw. Bert is interested in receiving any new information which would help update his list.

J. Gordon Mumford's Homepage In this site J. Gordon Mumford, author of The Black Pit...and Beyond and The Sampan Girl, tells about his experiences as a young Radio Operator in the British Merchant Navy of WWII. Gordon served in the Atlantic aboard the Soborg, Scottish Heather, Empire Harmony and Empire Path and in the Pacific aboard the MV Luling, (Lubbock in The Sampan Girl) and postwar in the Adolph S Ochs. He survived the torpedoing of the Scottish Heather during the horrific attacks on Convoy ONS-154 in December 1942 and two years later he had another lucky escape when the Empire Path was blown apart by a mine in the Scheldt Estuary. Gordon has composed beautiful memorial pages in memory of those lost from ONS-154 and from Empire Path. As well he pays a special tribute to the Scottish Heather's heroic Second Mate, Douglas Crook and to Tommy, the seaman on the Luling who was swept overboard in April 1945.

The Royal Canadian Legion This organisation pays tribute to and provides continuing support for our war veterans. The site has many features including a useful Links Page. Legion Magazine has a separate website and it now provides an on-line searchable data base -- "Last Post" -- which contains death notices of Canadian veterans from past issues.

HMCS Sackville, the 'Last Corvette' HMCS Sackville has been lovingly preserved and now serves as Canada's Naval Memorial, at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Be sure to take a virtual tour of the ship. To view a video about The Battle of the Atlantic and HMCS Sackville's defence of Convoy ON-115, visit Virtual Museum Canada.

HMCS Haida National Historic Site of Canada (part of the Parks Canada website) HMCS Haida, the last remaining example of the magnificent Tribal Class destroyers built between 1937 and 1945, is now a national historic site located at Ontario Place in Toronto. During World War II she sank nine German ships and won the title "The Fightingest Ship in the Royal Canadian Navy."

The Canadian Letters and Images Project: In Their Own Words Under the direction of Dr. Stephen Davies of Malaspina University College at Nanaimo, British Columbia, "CLIP" has been created to provide a permanent online archive of the experiences of "ordinary" Canadians in wartime. The Project would like to receive contributions in the form of letters, diaries, photographs and other personal materials from both the battlefield and the homefront.

We Will Remember: War Monuments in Canada This project which makes hundreds of Canadian War Monuments available to a wide audience through the Internet, was developed by Memorial University of Newfoundland. Be sure to view the pages for the Allied Merchant Navy Memorial in St. John's, Newfoundland, the Merchant Navy Memorial in Halifax, Nova Scotia and the Port Aux Basques Memorial Park in Port Aux Basques, Nfld.

Archives of MARHST-L@POST.QUEENSU.CA The Marine History Information Exchange Group based at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, provides this huge online data base which is international in scope. The University of Kansas calls this "One of the best places to go if you have an interest in Maritime History".

Shipsearch Marine This site is operated by Captain H. G. Hall of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, offers ship photos at very reasonable prices. Captain Hall specializes in US-built, Canadian and foreign ship photos including the Canadian built "Forts" and "Parks".

Alan R. Constant Presents On this site Alan features information about his 2002 book Sinking of the Montrolite. The book which tells the story of the Imperial Oil tanker MV Montrolite, which was sunk by U-109 on February 4th, 1942. Two of Alan's great-uncles were among the 28 men who lost their lives in the sinking.

The Memory Project Founded by the Dominion Institute, The Memory Project was initiated as a way for veterans and others to share their oral histories with the youth of Canada. Please visit the Veterans Archive page to search the database or to contribute a story. Any veterans who would like to share their stories in person by speaking to school children, are invited to register with the Speaker's Bureau.

Full circle: History of the Kipawao This page, which is part of the Bell Island.net website, tells the story of the ferry MV Kipawo, which during World War Two, ferried supplies through the dangerous waters between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Built by the Saint John Drydock in 1925, Kipawo serviced the Minas Basin and Newfoundland waters from 1926 to 1977, gaining the distinction of being "the oldest continually operated ferry vessel in Canada". Today, the Kipawo Heritage Society is dedicated preserving the ferry which is now the centre-piece for the Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.

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