British merchant seamen of World War II information
British Merchant Seamen of World War II
Country
United Kingdom
Branch
Merchant Navy
Role
Transportation of men and material
Part of
Ministry of War Transport
Colors
The British Merchant Navy Ensign
Military unit
Propaganda poster; note the "MN" buttonhole badge
Merchant seamen crewed the ships of the British Merchant Navy which kept the United Kingdom supplied with raw materials, arms, ammunition, fuel, food and all of the necessities of a nation at war throughout World War II — literally enabling the country to defend itself. In doing this, they sustained a considerably greater casualty rate than almost every other branch of the armed services and suffered great hardship. Seamen were aged from fourteen through to their late seventies.[1]
The office of the Registrar General of Shipping and Seamen calculated that 144,000 merchant seamen were serving aboard British registered merchant ships at the outbreak of World War II and that up to 185,000 men served in the Merchant Navy during the war.[2][3] 36,749 seamen were lost to enemy action, 5,720 were taken prisoner and 4,707 were wounded, totaling 47,176 casualties, a minimum casualty rate of over 25 per cent. Mr Gabe Thomas, the former Registrar General of Shipping and Seaman (Great Britain) stated that "27 per cent of merchant seamen died through enemy action".[4]
^Commonwealth War Graves Commission records
^BBC website = WW2 People's War – Merchant Navy
^Slader (1988), p.16
^Thomas (1995), p.ix
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