LITTLE CURRENT—As a group of Island communities, Manitoulin has long commemorated the end of the Battle of the Atlantic on the first Sunday of May. Manitoulin Sea Cadets brought back the pandemic-delayed Remembrance service this past weekend with a touching service that included an honour guard that stood vigil with rifles reversed around an anchor memorial, a colour guard bearing the national and provincial flags and an impressive cadre of cadets.
Master of Ceremonies and cadet commander Lt. (N) Sylvain Boucher led the corps and audience through the commemoration, noting that the Battle of the Atlantic holds the record as the Second World War’s longest continuous battle, having run from the beginning of the conflict to VE Day (May 8) in 1945—2,075 days in total.
At the beginning of the Battle of the Atlantic, noted Lt. (N) Boucher, Canada’s navy consisted of a mere 13 vessels and 3,500 active service personnel. By war’s end, Canada boasted the world’s third largest navy, with 373 ships and 110,000 serving, including 6,500 woman.
During the conflict, the navy and accompanying air force sank 50 enemy u-boats, losing 72 Canadian merchant ships to u-boats, bombs, mines and mishaps, with over 1,600 service personnel (including eight women) making the ultimate sacrifice.
Anglican pastoral associate Catherine Hazlitt of Kagawong provided benedictions at the start and end of the service, while Manitoulin Sea Cadet Acting Sub-Lieutenant Tina Davidson read the Sailor’s Psalm (107), Naval Cadet Ban Boussieres read the Act of Remembrance and CPO2 Rhys Allison delivered the Naval Prayer.
Following Lt. (N) Boucher reading out the names of ships lost at see during the Battle of the Atlantic as Acting Sub-Lieutenant Miranda MacKay rang the ship’s bell, calling out over and over, “they do not answer, sir.”
Wreathes were laid in front of an anchor and helm memorial at the front of the audience. Comrade Roy Eaton laid a wreathe on behalf of the Royal Canadian Legion Little Current and the Manitoulin North Shore ANAVETS; Bob Jewell on behalf of the Manitoulin Navy League and Acting Sub-Lieutenant Davidson on behalf of the Manitoulin Sea Cadet Corps.
The service ended with ‘God Save the King.’ As the cadets marched off, each paused at the anchor memorial at the front of the hall to lay down an anchor patch in front of the memorial statuette.
