“Thousands of Australian merchant mariners served during the two World Wars on Australian, Commonwealth and Allied ships, as well as merchant ships from other nations,” Mr Griffin said. “Although their story is little known, merchant seamen played an important role in Australia’s war efforts. Operations ranged from transporting vital food and fuel supplies to the battlefront, to transporting service personnel in and out of areas of conflict and evacuating civilians from dangerous locations. Merchant mariners conducted vital and often dangerous operations. They served on slow and vulnerable ships with limited defences, and were an easy target for the enemy,” Mr Griffin said.

Australian and Commonwealth memorials commemorate 435 Australians known to have lost their lives serving in the Merchant Navy. In consultation with merchant mariners, 3 September was chosen as Merchant Navy Day as it marks the sinking of the first Allied merchant vessel, the British liner Athenia, on the first day of the Second World War. The United Kingdom and Canada commemorate Merchant Navy Day on 3 September. Commemorative services are planned for Port Adelaide, Fremantle and the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.