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War at sea
It’s 1943. Imagine you’re a young sailor on lookout duty, freezing in the mid-winter chill on the deck of a corvette, a small Royal Canadian Navy warship, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. You’re sailing with a convoy of ships carrying food, weapons and other essential supplies to our Allies in Great Britain. Your job is to protect these supply ships. You scan the rough seas for the predators you know are out there somewhere, watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Suddenly, ka-boom! The explosion is huge. An enemy submarine, the dreaded U-boat, has torpedoed a supply ship, and it’s sinking fast! Survivors are already in the sea, and some have made it into lifeboats. As the corvette springs into action to defend the convoy, you wonder if the U-boat already has your ship in its sights. Will you be its next target?
This was the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest battle of the Second World War. Thousands of Canadians fought bravely throughout the war to keep the ocean safe for sea traffic. They succeeded, but many lost their lives. Sixty years after the war ended, Canada Post has issued a domestic rate (50¢) stamp to honour their sacrifices. |
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