Atlantic Container Line (ACL), was honoured to take part in the Routes of Remembrance cause this week. ACL’s G4 vessel, Atlantic Sea, which departed from Liverpool on Friday, August 26, 2022, carried the thirty Poppy Wreaths to Halifax, Nova Scotia where they will be placed in memorial in Halifax for the Remembrance Tour.

ACL cargo ship passing the New Brighton-Lighthouse in the UK

Routes of Remembrance honours the fallen of all conflicts and wars and those who had fallen as a result of injuries, both physical and mental, who had fallen long after the guns had stopped. The Routes of Remembrance connects communities across the globe to carry wreaths and tributes on poignant journeys, travelling by rail, road, sea and air, as part of the plans to honor and remember those who have given their lives in service

The Veterans Charity, which organized this special send off for the wreaths, collaborated with local cadets and veterans from across Merseyside in the UK. The event was also supported by the UK’s Royal Navy, The Port of Liverpool, Veteran HQ, Army Veterans, The North West Reserve Forces and Cadet Association, Sefton Sea Cadets, Chief of Port Police, Tom Harrison House and representatives from Everton Football Club (Everton in the Community).

Atlantic Container Line heartily supported the event, which reflected the role of the Merchant Navy in the 20th Century conflicts. It is particularly pertinent for ACL, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Falklands Conflict, in memory of the loss of the ACL’s MV Atlantic Conveyor and its Captain and crew in 1982.

One hundred poppy wreaths were carried across the Atlantic onboard the Queen Mary 2 to New York to be distributed across the United States and Puerto Rico. One special wreath is the Rick Rescorla wreath, which will finish its journey on September 11, 2022 to remember this UK and U.S. Military veteran and one of the heroes of the World Trade Centre.

This current journey honours the Canadian Service Personnel that have served alongside those of the United Kingdom since the Boer War to the current day but who tragically fell in action and are laid in foreign fields or across the UK. Fittingly, Halifax, Nova Scotia was the port of embarkation where the majority of brave Canadian personnel departed for the war. Indeed, the Canadian War Memorial in London's Green Park faces towards Halifax from Buckingham Palace and the Canada Gates.

Liverpool of course played a vital part in the Battle of the Atlantic that witnessed millions of troops, air force personnel and sailors crossing it from Canada and North America. The first of the many wreaths were on tour the week of August 15 around the City of Liverpool, visiting dignitaries, military units, memorials and icons of the City, including Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral and the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

Upon the Atlantic Sea’s arrival in Halifax, the Canadian Veterans Affairs team will receive the poppy wreaths and distribute them across the country. Each Canadian Province will receive two wreaths each, while the others will head to key locations before Armistice Day in November. These wreaths will join thirty others to head across the Atlantic as a thank you to the nation of Canada from The Veterans Charity and the UK.