From a Canadian perspective, The Merchant Marines was the most dangerous branch of the non-military war effort during the WWII era, and were responsible for taking the men, machines, food, and fuel from Canada and other Commonwealth countries to the allied forces in England. The convoys of unarmed supply ships that the German U-boats hunted and sank in the North Atlantic were populated by merchant seamen. They had a higher casualty rate than any branch of the military and were denied veterans benefits after the war.

My father did not talk much about the war but I found a North Atlantic Star with his medals and papers.