At 1115 on 3rd September 1939, the Second World War began for Britain. 8hrs 25mins later, so did its first battle. At 1940, the liner SS Athenia was torpedoed by a German submarine. The War’s first British, American and Canadian lives were lost: passengers and crew, civilians all. Bound for Montreal from Glasgow with 1,418 on board, most of the 1,103 passengers were women and children. Ships rescued survivors but 112 died. Named here are 18 of its crew near two from the SS Avondale Park, a cargo vessel torpedoed at 2240 on 7th May 1945, 1hr 20mins before VE-Day, the War’s end in Europe. Between these first and last British ships sunk, were 5 years, 8 months and 4 days of the War’s longest continuous campaign, the Battle of the Atlantic, which kept Britain fed, fuelled and fighting. 23,913 merchant seafarers are commemorated, men and women from 14 to 74 whose grave is the sea. The Merchant Navy lost some 40,000 personnel in all, more proportionately, 27%, than any of the Armed Services.

Roger Hoefling