Halifax marks 72nd anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic

Canadians from coast-to-coast are marking a very special anniversary this weekend.

Hundreds of military personnel marched through Point Pleasant Park in Halifax on Sunday morning to take part in the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. Among those watching the service was Second World War veteran Ron Waddleton, who turns 93 next month.

“It’s important for me just to remember, and I’m thinking about my comrades,” Waddleton told Global News.

“I was in the Battle of Atlantic. I was convoy duty during the war from 1941, when I was only 17, until the war was finished in ’45.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's important for me just to remember, and I'm thinking about my comrades," Waddleton told Global News.</p><p>"I was in the Battle of Atlantic. I was convoy duty during the war from 1941, when I was only 17, until the war was finished in '45."

READ: WWII veteran travels back to Halifax for wish of a lifetime, attends Battle of the Atlantic ceremony

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of the Second World War, beginning in September 1939, and lasting until May 1945. It involved naval blockades pitting allied ships and aircrafts against German U-boats, planes and warships, and is often referred to as a defining moment for the Royal Canadian Navy.

“It is on days like this that we, the serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces, can feel the soul of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force. We feel it in the salt air, in the fog, the waves, the rain, on this shoreline where war has washed ashore time and again,” said Rear-Admiral John Newton, Commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic.

READ: Women honoured for serving Canada’s Navy during Battle of the Atlantic

One by one, the names of ships lost during the war were read aloud, and a bell sounded for each.

The annual service to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic is an opportunity for people of all ages to reflect and honour those who fought during the war. Many, making the ultimate sacrifice.

“It’s very important to just remember the past because the past is your future you know,” said Waddleton. “I’m very, very proud of the young people today, they do remember, you know.”

READ MORE: HMCS Unicorn remembers those lost in the Battle of the Atlantic

With each year that passes, there are more empty seats at the service.

“Less veterans,” said Waddleton. “I know that for a fact, because I belong to Sackville Branch, and there’s only 11 of us — 11 World War II veterans left there.”

Following the playing of the Last Post, wreaths were laid at the Sailors Memorial, in memory of those who perished and have unknown graves.

For Waddleton, not only is the service about remembering the past, it’s also about paying respect and passing the torch to those who continue to serve our country.

View a photo gallery from the Battle of the Atlantic ceremony in Halifax by Global Videographer Cory McGraw.

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