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Joining the Merchant Navy

Heroes Remember

Joining the Merchant Navy

Transcript
Mom was little bit worried, I mean a little bit worried. Well, she said, “I know how it is, but do your best, do your best.” I figured I mean by the look of the map, I was going to school, I look at the map and the size of Canada over here and Germany was so small, I have in my mind that in six months we have that finished. We go there we’re gonna to wipe them, you know the word, bastards. Yeah. But that was not the answer. So, anyway, I went to Halifax I remember that day from today, that day was December the 13th, 1941, in Halifax. And then from 1940 to 1943 Canada didn’t have any ship, no merchant ship. They have a (inaudible) made with plywood. That’s what we have to fight with it, and it was pretty good. They said not light, but I didn’t know what a ship was. I never was at sea. But that’s what, and then when we left Halifax what, 11 o’clock at night on the convoy they sail about 250 ship, and then we have about maybe, I don’t know, roughly four Corvettes and three destroyers. And we would cover twenty miles square, convoy, you know what the convoy is? They go this way, and when it got too rough or too dangerous we zig zag every three hour, three minute or ten minute back and forth.
Description

Mr. Kenny recalls how he felt compelled to do something when the war began. He was underage when he joined the Merchant Navy, therefore he didn’t really have any idea what it was.

Gil Kenny

Gil Kenny was born in Saint Rose, New Brunswick in December of 1923. His father worked as a blacksmith. Mr. Kenny was 16 when the war started and joined the Merchant Navy, because he was too young for the other services. During one of his crossings, his ship was torpedoed and he was adrift for 72 hours in the Atlantic. After being rescued, he returned to service on the HMS Sheffield.

Meta Data
Medium:
Video
Owner:
Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:
01:48
Person Interviewed:
Gil Kenny
War, Conflict or Mission:
Second World War
Location/Theatre:
North America
Branch:
Merchant Navy

Copyright / Permission to Reproduce

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