Support the Memorial by … Drinking Beer?
Yes, you read that correctly.
The Battle of the Atlantic took place in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1939 – 1945. Allied efforts in the region were focused on shipping supplies, armaments, troops, and other materials to the United Kingdom across the Atlantic to assist the war efforts and prepare for the D-Day liberation of Europe. During the voyage, ships traveled in convoys for better (and closer) protection provided by the RCN and USN escorts. Soon, German “Wolf Packs” began hunting the convoys. Allied forces desperately tried to sink the U-Boats and protect their ships. After the war, the casualties for Canadian forces were:
- 2,000 RCN sailors
- 1,600 Canadian Merchant sailors
- 752 RCAF crew
The overall Allied losses (including all other allied nations) were:
- >36,000 sailors
- >36,000 merchant sailors
- 3,500 ships
- 175 warships sunk
- 741 Aircraft lost
If you’d like to learn more about the Battle of the Atlantic, the recent film Greyhound, featuring Tom Hanks, is a gritty and realistic look at what the troops/sailors endured while attempting to cross the Atlantic. It’s available to stream/rent, and it is a gripping 91 minutes of Navy ships vs. U-Boats during an attempted convoy crossing. Canadian efforts and involvement is included in this film.
In London, Ontario, efforts are currently underway to enhance the memorial at HMCS Prevost. I’ve written about it here, here, and here. There will be panels listing each ship and the casualty names. There will also be panels memorializing the merchant vessels and their losses, as well as RCAF losses. Construction is now underway for a grand unveiling in May 2025 at the 50th Anniversary. This is the artist’s rendering:
Support the Efforts by Drinking Depth Charge Lager from Railway City Brewing Co.
Railway City Brewing Co. in St. Thomas, Ontario is helping efforts to build the Memorial by adding a lager to their product list. Each purchase results in a direct donation.
There are numerous ways to donate to the building of the enhanced memorial, including purchasing a memorial coin, purchasing memorial chocolate bars, and making a cash donation at the official site. I’ve written about them before here on my blog. There is another option for people, IF YOU LIVE IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO, and that’s purchasing the lager from Railway City Brewing Co. in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Here is the information to order Depth Charge Lager in Southwestern Ontario as of November 2024:
- 25 cents from each can sold go directly to the Memorial
- Purchase from the Railway City Brewing Co. site
- Free delivery to your home (within a one hour drive) from St. Thomas, Ontario within one week of ordering, for full cases (24 beer). This offer is current only and might change … so order now.
- Free pickup can be arranged at Railway City Brewing Company in St. Thomas, Ontario
- For longer distances, there will be an additional charge
For more information about the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial, watch my reel here:
Thank you to everyone who has donated to the Memorial or has provided work on the enhanced project. Here is some more information:
Battle of the Atlantic Memorial Official Site
Honorary Captain Jeff Topping discusses the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial
— Timothy S. Johnston, 2 Dec. 2024
Stay tuned for more information about the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial at HMCS Prevost in London, Ontario and efforts to fundraise and build the site. Watch my blog, here:
