THUNDER BAY – With his 92nd birthday weeks away, Elmer Auld considers himself lucky.
Not a day goes by where the Second World War veteran doesn’t think about his friends and fellow Navy sailors who never made it back home, many resting in a watery grave at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
The 71st anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continuous battle of the Second World War, was commemorated Sunday in ceremonies across the country, including one in Thunder Bay at the HMCS Griffon.
After the ceremony Auld was shown a photograph of himself and a group of new recruits from when he joined the Navy in 1942 at the age of 17. He immediately recognized faces he hasn’t seen in more than 70 years.
“I’m lucky because a lot of the guys didn’t come back. There are certainly a lot of them laying in that ocean,” he said. “I think of them every day. I’m just so darn lucky I came back myself. I’m so fortunate.”
The naval battle, which extended from 1939 until 1945, resulted in the sinking of 33 Canadian warships and the deaths of more than 2,200 Royal Canadian Navy personnel. As well, 73 merchant ships were sunk with 1,300 Canadian merchant seafarers losing their lives.
The battle extended to the skies above the ocean, with 350 Royal Canadian Air Force planes being downed and 752 crewmembers killed.
During the war, Auld spent time working in minesweeping efforts around the Halifax harbour. He also served extensively in corvettes on convoys, both escorting ships along the triangle route between Halifax, St. John’s and New York or Boston as well as on trips across the Atlantic.
Lt.-Cmdr. Michele Tessier said the firsthand accounts of the wartime experiences puts everything in perspective.
“Hearing their stories and seeing the emotion that brings out in them makes you feel very fortunate and very thankful for what they have done and the freedoms we enjoy,” Tessier said.
Chief petty officer, first class, Daniel Voss said ceremonies honouring veterans makes him proud to be a Canadian.
There are many lessons to be learned from those who served and it’s vital to make sure their stories are never forgotten.
“It’s important we always continue to remember them and show respect. They fought for us and they died for us,” the 17-year-old said.
“It’s so important, especially with the youth. The youth are the leaders of tomorrow. It’s important we retain this knowledge and we can continue to pass it on for generations to come. We want to continue to remember them and never forget.”
In addition to engaging enemy targets, Canadian ships and sailors played a major role in escorting merchant vessels across the Atlantic to deliver much needed supplies to Britain, which the Germans were attempting to isolate.
As well, it was on the water that led to the retaking of Europe when Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy.
At the beginning of the Second World War, the Canadian navy only had 3,500 people. By the end, there were 110,000, making it the third-largest allied naval service.
Capt. David Benoit, who was the receiving officer for the ceremony, said the performance of the navy played a significant role in how Canada’s armed forces were perceived around the globe.
At the time, Canada had been an independent nation for less than 100 years.
“I’d say the Battle of the Atlantic for the Canadian navy really brought it to age,” Benoit said.
“We bore the brunt of protecting those convoys and that important merchandise across the ocean, which helped the efforts. It really, really cemented Canada’s place in the world and the Royal Canadian Navy’s place as being an independent navy from the other Commonwealth countries.”
