The Merchant Marine

A medal has been stuck and presented to sailors who were on the Murmansk convoys during WW2 . . . 3,000 sailors died during those convoys to Russia . . . I've always thought the merchant seamen were the unsung heroes of WW2 . . they kept us going in food 'till the Americans joined the war and continued to supply the UK 'till the ceasefire.

A friend of mine's dad was a gunner with the Royal Navy on a destroyer protecting those convoys and he'd told his son the cold was so bad his eyelids were often thick with ice . . . they had to cope with the worst weather imaginable as well as the German navy and air force.

Atlantic convoys were just about as bad but sailors always dreaded the Murmansk run . . when a ship went down the merchant seamen's pay was stopped immediately . . some of them had families at home too, if they were rescued after being in a lifeboat for weeks then invalided on shore for maybe 6 months they still didn't get paid.

The merchant marine lost more men than all the other services put together during WW2 . . at last their sacrifice has been recognised.

Re: The Merchant Marine

They were brave and I remember hearing my Dad say they were the bravest men as well, Denis.

Thanks for sharing that.

Take care.

Re: The Merchant Marine

They were hard times and many merchant seamen were not compensated once their ship was lost.


I`m still in touch with an ex WW2 pilot (now nearly 90) who fought in the battle of Britain and flew those Hurricanes that got catapaulted off ships to combat the `Condors` when on the trip to Murmansk.

Mind you,and we have met twice, he is far more interested in veg growing and cooking than flying Typhoons over Normandy

Re: The Merchant Marine

They were also very brave men, OG, if it had not been for them, Britain wouldn't be here now! That is wonderful that your friend is near 90 and bet he can tell a story, or two.

They were all brave men who flew the skies then.

Re: The Merchant Marine

A tale or two?--bailed out and got shot up by the bloody Home Guard,never saw plane that hit me-BoB

Murmansk-bloody cold,vodka was nice

1944-Thank God I got sent to India soon after the squadron was formed-low level was a bit nasty

But that`s a very long time ago-we met via a cooking site