The Seafarers Charity - Merchant Navy Day

2nd September 2024 | Lieutenancy News

The Seafarers Charity – Merchant Navy Day

The Seafarers’ Charity is calling on organisations, communities, and individuals across the UK to honour the people behind the Merchant Navy Flag by flying the Red Ensign, whether physically or digitally, on Merchant Navy Day, Tuesday, 3 September. Please join us in paying tribute to our merchant seafarers, past and present.

Since its inception, the campaign has grown into a significant national event. The Red Ensign, known affectionately as the ‘Red Duster,’ is flown at a multitude of locations ashore, including historic properties, parish and town council offices, church towers, and village greens across the UK. This powerful symbol serves to highlight the indispensable role of merchant seafarers – past, present, and future.

The campaign provides an opportunity to celebrate and honour the many courageous men and women who serve or have served as merchant seafarers. Their bravery kept supply lines open during two World Wars. More recently, they played a crucial role in maintaining the supply chain during the COVID-19 crisis. Today, modern-day merchant seafarers are indispensable, handling the majority of the UK’s imports and highlighting our ongoing reliance on their work.

Message from our President, His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh

‘Merchant Navy Day is the one moment we can acknowledge the invisible service. By flying the Red Ensign on this day, you will be recognising the approximately 80,000 men and women working at sea carrying around 95% of our island nation’s trade. Regrettably, it is only during times of war that the service enters our consciousness, as is sadly the case today with seafarers running the gauntlet in the Red Sea. This is our one opportunity to show our seafarers how much we value them, past and present, as well as their families’

For more information on how to get involved, please visit:

https://www.theseafarerscharity.org/get-involved/merchant-navy-day