What was a merchant seaman in ww2?
What was a merchant seaman in ww2?
On those ships were not military personnel but merchant mariners — civilian volunteers with the U.S. Merchant Marine, hauling vital war cargo for the Allies. Merchant mariners were the supply line that provided virtually everything Allied armies needed in order to survive and fight on foreign battlefields.
How many merchant Marines were lost in WWII?
Merchant Marine Casualties There were 243,000 mariners that served in the war. And 9,521 perished while serving—a higher proportion of those killed than any other branch of the US military.
Did the merchant Marines fight in ww2?
The United States Merchant Marine provided the greatest sealift in history between the production army at home and the fighting forces scattered around the globe in World War II. The prewar total of 55,000 experienced mariners was increased to over 215,000 through U.S. Maritime Service training programs.
How many merchant ships did Britain lose in ww2?
By the end of the First World War, more than 3,000 British flagged merchant and fishing vessels had been sunk and nearly 15,000 merchant seamen had died. During the Second World War, 4,700 British-flagged ships were sunk and more than 29,000 merchant seamen died.
Did merchant seamen get war medals?
Eight medals were awarded to British merchant seamen who served in World War Two and who met the qualifications for each medal. The Mercantile Marine Office usually issued the ribbons at the port, with the medal normally following on some time later, after it had been produced by the Mint.
What happened to the Merchant Marines?
Merchant Mariners are not part of the military. Now, some of them run a number of ships that support the U.S. Navy, like the Henry J. Kaiser-class replenishment oilers and Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ships, as well as the sealift vessels like the Bob Hope-class vehicle cargo chips.
How many merchant seamen died in the Battle of the Atlantic?
30,000 merchant seamen
Over 30,000 merchant seamen had died, as well as thousands of men from Allied navies and air forces. Many civilian passengers had also died. On the German side, of the 830 operational U-boats, at least 750 saw service in the Atlantic and in UK waters outside the North Sea. Of these, 510 (or 2 out of 3) were lost.