Merchant Navy Veterans' Day

A commemorative ceremony marking Merchant Navy Veterans' Day will be held at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on 8 September 2024 at 11:00am. 

Every year, Canadians honour the dedication, bravery, and personal sacrifice of the 12,000 men and women who served in Canada’s Merchant Navy during the Second World War.

The Merchant Navy was a vital lifeline and played a decisive role in the Allied war effort throughout the Battle of the Atlantic -- the longest continuous battle of the Second World War beginning on the opening day of the war in September 1939 and ending almost six years later with Germany’s surrender in May 1945. Merchant mariners crewed the vessels that carried essential personnel, equipment, and supplies all over the globe while relentlessly pursued by enemy U-Boats. Over 25,000 of these dangerous voyages were completed by our ships throughout the Second World War.

(rsvp-commemoration-rsvp@veterans.gc.ca)