Post by Administrator on Oct 1, 2021 10:44:31 GMT
National Memorial Arboretum
The Merchant Navy is the collective term for commercial shipping and includes a whole range of vessels, from cruise ships to tankers and cargo ships of all description. However, during wartime, the Merchant Navy has made a huge contribution to the national war effort and suffered many tragic losses during both world wars.
The title ‘Merchant Navy’ was granted by King George V after the First World War to recognise the important role of merchant sailors and civilian cargo ships in importing food and raw materials, as well as transporting soldiers overseas and keeping them supplied.
By the start of the Second World War, a third of the world's merchant ships were British and the fleet was the largest in the world, employing 200,000 sailors from all corners of the British Empire. More recently, although smaller in size, the Merchant Navy played an important role during the Falklands War in 1982.
During both world wars, Germany sought to sink merchant vessels on sight. More than 3,000 British flagged merchant and fishing vessels were sunk during the First World War, killing nearly 15,000 merchant seamen. During the Second World War, 4,700 British-flagged ships were sunk and more than 29,000 merchant seamen died.
The Merchant Navy Association Memorial at the Arboretum was dedicated On This Day in 2003 and represents past and present Merchant Navy personnel.
The memorial stone came from a Cornish quarry and the white seams in the rock represent the sea washing over the rocks ashore.
The Merchant Navy is the collective term for commercial shipping and includes a whole range of vessels, from cruise ships to tankers and cargo ships of all description. However, during wartime, the Merchant Navy has made a huge contribution to the national war effort and suffered many tragic losses during both world wars.
The title ‘Merchant Navy’ was granted by King George V after the First World War to recognise the important role of merchant sailors and civilian cargo ships in importing food and raw materials, as well as transporting soldiers overseas and keeping them supplied.
By the start of the Second World War, a third of the world's merchant ships were British and the fleet was the largest in the world, employing 200,000 sailors from all corners of the British Empire. More recently, although smaller in size, the Merchant Navy played an important role during the Falklands War in 1982.
During both world wars, Germany sought to sink merchant vessels on sight. More than 3,000 British flagged merchant and fishing vessels were sunk during the First World War, killing nearly 15,000 merchant seamen. During the Second World War, 4,700 British-flagged ships were sunk and more than 29,000 merchant seamen died.
The Merchant Navy Association Memorial at the Arboretum was dedicated On This Day in 2003 and represents past and present Merchant Navy personnel.
The memorial stone came from a Cornish quarry and the white seams in the rock represent the sea washing over the rocks ashore.