Merchant Navy Day to honour kiwi heroes of the high seas | Scoop News – Scoop.co.nz

Wednesday, 1 September 2021, 10:18 amPress Release: NZ Maritime Museum

This Friday marks Merchant Navy Day, the official day ofremembrance for those who served and lost their lives in theMerchant Navy during WWI and WWII.

The term MerchantNavy includes ships and workers associated withcommercial shipping companies used during both world wars.These ships often operated in dangerous conditions and weretargeted by enemy vessels trying to disrupt commerce and theshipping trade.

Vincent Lipanovich, Director of the NewZealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa, says morethan 140 New Zealand merchant seafarers lost their livesduring WWII alone, and a similar number were takenprisoner.

The seafarers on these ships transportinggoods and passengers were civilians. They werent part ofthe armed forces, nor were they trained in combat. They wereengineers, radio officers, pursers, cooks and so on. Noother group of New Zealand civilians faced such risks duringwartime, he says.

Members of the Merchant Navy sailedthe ships that delivered troops, military equipment andvital cargoes of food, fuel and raw materials across theworlds oceans. This work was so essential to the Allies'effort in WWII that the Merchant Navy was effectivelyregarded as the fourth service alongside the army, navy andair force.

Our merchant mariners are an integral partof the story of New Zealand, says Lipanovich. Evenoutside of war time, its merchant mariners who carry ourtrade and maintain the vital ocean links that connect uswith the rest of the world. Despite the increase in airtravel and electronic communication, this remains central toour way of life.

Lipanovich says now is a timelyreminder of the punishing conditions currently facedby those who work to keep international trade and industryafloat amidst the Covid pandemic.

There has beenperhaps no time since WWII that our merchant mariners facesuch difficulty and tribulation on our behalf.

At thepeak of the Covid-19 crisis, the Washington Post estimatedthat there were over 400,000 merchant mariners stranded ontheir vessels today, the number is still believed to bearound 200,000.

These brave and hard working people,despite these epic challenges, continue to move the 90% ofworld trade carried by water and they deserve our thoughtsand thanks this Merchant Navy Day, he says.

The NewZealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa will holdan online commemoration ceremony to mark Merchant Navy Daythis Friday. The 30-min ceremony is free for anyone whowishes to attend. Visit the museums website for furtherinformation:https://www.maritimemuseum.co.nz/events/merchant-navy-day-2021

Scoop Media

Become a member Find out more

Originally posted here:

Merchant Navy Day to honour kiwi heroes of the high seas | Scoop News - Scoop.co.nz