New Zealand’s first official Merchant Navy Day took place on Friday 3 September 2010 at the National War Memorial.
Veterans of the Merchant Navy, His Excellency the Right Hon Sir Anand Satyanand, Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Corps and military personnel attended.
During WWII merchant fleets were the lifeblood of the Allied war effort. They operated in every theatre of the war, carrying troops and supplying military forces with food, weapons and ammunition. Their job was often hard, monotonous and dangerous.