Send this page to someone via email Halifax commemorated the Battle of the Atlantic, honouring the service of the thousands of Canadians who fought in the longest battle of the Second World War. Beginning in September 1939 and lasting until May 1945, the Battle of the Atlantic lasted a total 2,075 days. It involved naval blockades pitting Allied ships and aircraft against German U-boats, planes, and warships, and is often referred to as a defining moment for the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Merchant Navy. READ MORE: WWII veteran travels back to Halifax for wish of a lifetime, attends Battle of the Atlantic ceremony On Sunday, hundreds of military personnel marched through Point Pleasant Park taking part in a ceremony that marks the 74th anniversary of the end battle. Story continues below advertisement Of special interest for this ceremony is the commemoration of the 128 sailors who lost their lives in the sinking of HMCS Athabaskan 75 years ago. HMCS Athabaskan sank on April 29, 1944, in the English channel after being struck by a German torpedo boat. In addition to the 128 sailors who died, 84 were taken captive. But there were heroics in the midst of the loss of life. “This event reminds us of the fragility of life at sea – but the daring rescue of 48 Athabaskan sailors by Harry DeWolf and HMCS Haida reminds us of our proud naval heritage,” said Vice-Adm. Rony Lloyd, commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. “Members of the Royal Canadian Navy are proud to follow in the footsteps of these brave sailors and remain ready to help, ready to lead and ready to fight on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians.” Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Members of the Royal Canadian Navy are proud to follow in the footsteps of these brave sailors and remain ready to help, ready to lead and ready to fight on behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians." It was the first of three Canadian vessels to bear the name of HMCS Athabaskan. WATCH: HMCS Brunswicker pushes for Saint John naval memorial 1:51 HMCS Brunswicker pushes for Saint John naval memorial HMCS Brunswicker pushes for Saint John naval memorial – Feb 26, 2019 Ceremonies are set to be held throughout the province. Story continues below advertisement With files from Whitney Middleton-Oickle<doc-sep>Canadians are marking the anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic this weekend, commemorating those lost at sea in the longest single naval campaign of the Second World War. On P.E.I., HMCS Queen Charlotte will hold a ceremony at the North Rustico cenotaph Sunday at 10:55 a.m.. Naval Cadet Scott Ferris, a public affairs officer with HMCS Queen Charlotte, said it's always a special anniversary for the Island. "There are strong Island connections, there were a lot of men and women who served with the Royal Canadian Navy and were part of that engagement, that campaign," he said. "So for us here on P.E.I., being able to mark this special anniversary is always an important one, particularly for HMCS Queen Charlotte. As well as the ceremony in North Rustico, HMCS Queen Charlotte will also host a small flag raising ceremony at The Mount Continuing Care Community in Charlottetown. Blanche MacAleer, 99, who now lives at the Mount, for years has raised a flag in May in memory of her late husband and two brothers, who all served in the Second World War. More P.E.I. news<doc-sep>Canadians gather to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic Article content The Battle of the Atlantic was commemorated today with events in Ottawa and other locations. The commemoration recognizes the sacrifices of the thousands of Canadians who fought valiantly during the battle from 1939 to 1945. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Canadians gather to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic Back to video The national ceremony took place at the National War Memorial with participation by members of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force, as well as members of the Merchant Marines. Air Cadets and Sea Cadets from the National Capital Region, Navy League Cadets, Royal Canadian Legion Colour Party, local veterans’ associations, the diplomatic corps, and the Ottawa Children’s Choir. Each year on the first Sunday in May, Canada and its military community remember the sailors, aviators, and mariners who perished at sea during the battle, the longest campaign of the Second World War. It is also an opportunity to honour the courage of the veterans who served and the civilians who died during enemy attack, the Royal Canadian Navy has noted.<doc-sep>Canadians across the country marked one of the longest, darkest and most pivotal chapters of this country’s involvement in the Second World War on Sunday: The Battle of the Atlantic. Lasting the whole of the war in Europe from September 1939 to May 1945, the battle saw Canada and its allies fighting Nazi submarines, planes and ships for control of the North Atlantic seaways. More than 4,600 Canadians would lose their lives, including sailors, merchant mariners and aircrew trying to protect vital convoys as they crossed the cold and choppy waves carrying supplies to England and Europe. Those supplies kept the British from starving during the early years of the war after the Nazis had taken control of Europe, and then provided the men, ammunition and equipment needed to free the continent. But it was also a difficult and dangerous environment, with German U-boats lurking beneath the waves and the cold ocean offering a quick death to sailors who weren’t quickly rescued after their ships were sunk. During a ceremony at the National War Memorial Sunday morning attended by hundreds of people, a ship’s bell was rung as the names of the 33 Canadian naval vessels lost during the Second World War were read out one by one. The event, held under a cloudless blue sky, also remembered the more than 900 Canadian aircrew and 1,700 merchant mariners who lost their lives during the Battle of Atlantic. One of those attending was 91-year-old retired captain Paul Bender, who served in the Canadian Merchant Navy and led an ultimately successful effort to designate Canada’s sunken naval ships “ocean war graves.” Having joined the war effort when he was 15 years old, Bender was only a few days older than 16 when his merchant ship was sunk by the Germans in November 1943. “It’s not very pleasant having your ship sunk underneath you,” he said. “But that’s one of the challenges of wartime.” Bender, who would eventually cross the Atlantic with five convoys, said ceremonies like the one in Ottawa are vital to remembering the Battle of the Atlantic and the sacrifices Canadians made for their country and society. Sunday’s ceremony came one day before the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMCS Valleyfield, which the Germans torpedoed as it returned to Canada from escorting a convoy. It sank off the coast of Newfoundland, killing 123 sailors. Royal Canadian Navy commander Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd said the Battle of the Atlantic represents an important chapter in the service’s history and heritage, which he admitted isn’t always easy to commemorate. “One of the challenges for naval engagements is there’s no battlefield to walk, there’s no cemetery where you can go and pay your respects,” Lloyd said. “And so I think in many respects that makes it a little bit more difficult.” Despite this, Bender was optimistic that Sunday’s ceremony demonstrates that Canadians understand the importance of the battle, and that it will continue to be remembered after those who fought in it are gone.<doc-sep>
The Battle of the Atlantic — Canada's longest military engagement during the Second World War — was remembered at a ceremony in Halifax on Sunday morning. Hundreds of people in uniform along with members of the public took part in the commemoration at Point Pleasant Park. This year marks the 75th anniversary of HMCS Athabaskan — a vessel that was torpedoed in the English Channel resulting in the deaths of 128 people. "It's a lot of memories, a lot of sad memories when you think of all those people who lost their lives, you know, the futility of war," said retired captain Earl Wagner. Wagner, 95, served in Canada's Merchant Navy during the Second World War. He joined the battle in February 1941. "I talk to the kids in school and I said, 'Remember, if you don't remember anything I told you, just remember that war is hell,'" said Wagner, who is originally from West LaHave and now lives in Halifax. Earl Wagner, 95, served in the Canadian Merchant Navy. (Anjuli Patil/CBC) He said he attended the Battle of the Atlantic memorial to remember those who died in the war. "I always think about that when I come to these here, it's a very solemn ceremony — especially with that nice music in the background. It puts you in a mood of melancholy I suppose," Wagner said. A Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft flew past the memorial service. From left, Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class Joe Dickie, Luce Bélanger, Nathalie Coutou and Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Boone. (Anjuli Patil/CBC) As wreaths were placed during the commemoration, Luce Bélanger approached the cenotaph with a drum with a painted eagle on it. She noticed an eagle flew above the cenotaph as the names of the ships that went down during the battle were read out. "The drum is ... the symbol of the heartbeat, so for me to give my drum is also to honour the hearts that stopped beating," Bélanger said. Bélanger is in Halifax as a support for the Canadian Forces Aboriginal Entry Program, a three-week course designed for Indigenous people considering a career in the military. The Battle of the Atlantic was fought from the beginning of the war in 1939 until Germany's surrender in 1945. Nearly 2,000 members of the Royal Canadian Navy died along with 1,600 Canadian merchant seaman. Another 750 Canadian airmen were lost. A fly pass by the Royal Canadian Air Force during the commemoration today at Point Pleasant Park pic.twitter.com/uJeCVlSGdU —@AnjuliCBC MORE TOP STORIES