Winnipeg pauses for Battle of the Atlantic ceremony

Photo by Cpl Carbe Orellana, MARPAC Imaging Services

Photo by Cpl Carbe Orellana, MARPAC Imaging Services

SLt Warren Bush, HMCS Winnipeg ~

Sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy were proud to acknowledge and celebrate the legacy of their predecessors through Battle of the Atlantic Day, an annual day of remembrance held on the first Sunday in May.

The ship’s company of HMCS Winnipeg commemorated the occasion through a ceremony that brought attention to the service and sacrifice of Canada’s sailors during the Second World War. Winnipeg itself is named after a Battle of the Atlantic veteran, a 990 tonne, 225 foot Algerine Class Minesweeper commissioned in 1943.

The service commenced with opening remarks from Winnipeg’s Commanding Officer, followed by the National Anthem, an address by the ship’s Padre, Psalm 23, and the Naval Prayer. The sailors then heeded ‘Lament’ and ‘Reveille’ after a two minute silence, and reflected on a somber Battle of the Atlantic  Roll of Honour, which individually named the 26 Canadian warships lost during the War, as well as the seven Motor Torpedo Boats.

The Commanding Officer then cast a ceremonial wreath into the sea.

Canada paid dearly for the Battle of the Atlantic: 1,797 sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy and countless merchant seamen met their end in that ocean’s icy water.

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  1. Jake Cotter says:

    Beautiful photo

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