Merchant Navy Day was commemorated at Handforth Station this year with the flying of a Merchant Navy Flag.
The Friends of Handforth Station responded to a request from local resident Mr Bridgeman, who is the local Secretary of the Merchant Navy Association, to fly the Red Ensign, also known as the "Red Duster," at the station on Merchant Navy September 3rd.
This day has been chosen as Merchant Navy Day, not only because it was the first day of the Second World War but also because on that day in 1939 the first merchant navy ship, the SS Athenia, was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 128 passengers and crew. The total loss of merchant navy crew during the conflict was over 32,000.
Mike Bishop of FoHS "A few years ago local schoolchildren designed artistic screens showing 4 different modes of transport, rail, road, air and sea. These are displayed to commemorate the station reopening after a long closure for engineering works as "Light @ the end of the Tunnel" installed over the waiting shelters. A link was seen between the sea theme of one of these and the request."
The Friends have flown many flags over the years; many also designed by local schoolchildren, but they did not have one of these flags so they made an approach to the Seafarers UK charity who kindly supplied a free Red Ensign. It is now flying from one of the flagpoles on Handforth Station and they plan to fly it each year to support the seafarers.
Seafarers UK's Campaigns Manager Nick Harvey said: 'This year's Merchant Navy Day campaign to get the Red Ensign flown in public places has been a huge success, with a flag flying at hundreds of locations across the UK. But I am not aware of a Red Ensign being hoisted at any other station, so that's a first for Handforth!'
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