The video gives a British Merchant Navy strength of about 185,000 and 36,749 dead, then adds prisoners and wounded to estimate that roughly a quarter of those who served were directly affected. It also notes thousands who may have died without being included in the standard commemoration total. Indian, Canadian, Australian, South African, New Zealand, Chinese, fishing-fleet, naval auxiliary, and defensively equipped merchant-ship losses make clear that British shipping relied on a wider imperial and allied workforce. American totals were larger in personnel but much lower proportionally, with about 8,651 dead from a 1941-45 strength of roughly 215,000. Using 1939-45 changes both American figures, and workforce churn complicates simple percentage comparisons.
Chapter · 1:27:41-1:32:10
Merchant-marine casualties reveal the cost behind wartime shipping
British and American figures put wartime merchant losses in perspective, including prisoners, wounded personnel, and sailors excluded from some commemoration totals.