Merchant Navy Day - held on the 3rd September since 2000.
Previous page or back to the News page The recent arrival of a
salvaged German U-Boat to Birkenhead docks serves as a timely
reminder of the losses suffered by our Merchant Navy fleet in
keeping Britain's essential supply lines open during the Second
World War, and the horrendous loss of life amongst these heroic
crews. A quote from the British Merchant Navy website - Over
30,000 men of the British Merchant Navy were lost between
1939-1945. For our Merchant sailors there was no phony war that
the people of Britain lived through in those early days. On
September 3rd 1939, a few hours after war had been declared
against Germany, the first shipping casualty occurred with the
sinking of the Donaldson Line passenger ship, Athenia, and the
loss of 112 passengers and crew. For almost six years there was
barely a day went by without the loss of merchant ships and
their crews. The gratitude owed to these men is finally being
recognized with the introduction of