Those in peril of the sea.

"Those in peril of the sea", the words of a sombre hymn rise from the congregation gathered to remember the men who lost their lives in the "Battle of the Atlantic" during World War Two.  
Liverpool Cathedral was the scene of the memorial where we remembered the heroic service given by the men of the Merchant Service, an unsung battle fought out in the wild and turbulent seas of the Atlantic. The terror of being sunk, the struggle for life in those cold waters, the high chance that your ship would be hit, didn't deter the crews of these floating targets as they ponderously made their way through the seas waiting, waiting, waiting for the sight of the first torpedo heading for the ship.
Why did these men turn up for the voyage, they weren't signed up for a life in the Royal Navy, each voyage was a decision to continue to do their bit.

The men of the Merchant Navy have only recently been awarded a medal for service, which sadly, few are still alive to receive. The Establishment had not seen fit to acknowledge their contribution, being seen to be very much a junior to the senior service, the Royal Navy with its symbolism and rank.
Without their immense contribution, we as a nation would have starved and it was only the ships that got through the U boat packs with their precious cargo that allowed us to fight on.
How do we weigh the courage of each seamen, just as vital in their contribution to the war effort as the rousing rhetoric of Winston Churchill.

Of course Churchill became an icon but what of the efforts of the men who made him one !!