On 27 September 2025, a monument to the Polish Navy was unveiled in Halifax, Canada. The ceremony was attended by Prof. Karol Polejowski, Deputy President of the Institute of National Remembrance.
During World War II, maritime convoys filled with food, weapons, and necessary materials departed from Halifax to reach Europe, which was fighting against Germany and its allies. Polish sailors participated in the Battle of the Atlantic from the first day to the last.
The Polish Navy and Merchant Marine Memorial was created in cooperation between the IPN, the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Poland in Halifax, Jan Skóra, and the Director of the Polish Emigration Memorial Committee in Halifax, Elżbieta Rulka. It is located near the National Museum of Immigration. The obelisk commemorating Polish sailors who fought in the Battle of the Atlantic along with the Royal Canadian Navy was made on the initiative of the local Polish community.
Prof. Karol Polejowski thanked the Canadian Polish community for their initiative to commemorate the efforts of Polish sailors and their unwavering patriotism.
The Polish Navy memorial commemorates the sacrifice of Polish sailors who fought in the Battle of the Atlantic. Some of them paid the highest price during the fight. Those who survived were forced to look for a new home. Poland was behind the Iron Curtain of Soviet domination for many years. By unveiling this monument in Halifax, we also thank the hospitable land of Canada, which welcomed crowds of Polish refugees after World War II.
Remembering the words of St. John Paul II that freedom is never given forever, we remember those who, in the name of freedom, independence, and sovereignty of the Republic of Poland, took up arms and fought on all fronts of World War II. Honor and glory to our heroes, and to the sailors of the Polish Navy! said the deputy president of the IPN.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Canadian Parliament, the Canadian Navy, diplomatic missions, local authorities, and representatives of the local Polish community. Mike Savage, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and Commander Beth Vallis, Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve, addressed the gathering.
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The first major Allied operation in which ships with the white and red flag took part was the Norwegian campaign in 1940. The destroyers Grom, Błyskawica and Burza took part in the battles in the fjords, covering the Royal Navy forces and firing at German positions on land. The submarine Orzeł patrolled the Norwegian coast, while the passenger liners Batory, Sobieski and Chrobry transported equipment and landing troops. As a result of Luftwaffe air raids, the destroyer Grom and the liner Chrobry were sunk. At the turn of May and June 1940, the submarine Orzeł disappeared with its entire crew in circumstances that remain unexplained to this day. Our ships and vessels then took part in the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk.
Polish destroyers and ships participated in Allied convoys on the northern and southern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and North Sea routes, as well as on the Arctic route to Soviet Murmansk. They fought against Kriegsmarine ships and submarines, Luftwaffe aircraft, mines, and often battled stormy seas. One of the most famous operations in the Atlantic was against the German battleship Bismarck, whose actions posed a major threat to the Allied convoy system. Despite the terrible weather conditions, in May 1941, the destroyer Piorun made contact with Bismarck, which contributed to the damage and eventual sinking of the German ship.
Polish ships and vessels supported Allied operations in most significant military operations. In the Mediterranean, destroyers escorted convoys, took part in supplying Malta, invading North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and fought German U-boats. Polish submarines disrupted the shipping of the Axis powers.
In June 1944, Polish warships participated in Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious operation in the history of naval warfare, covering the landing force, shelling German positions in France, and fighting Kriegsmarine units.
During the fighting, German torpedoes and bombs sank or destroyed three destroyers, one cruiser, and two submarines. In addition to the Navy, 50 ships of the Polish Navy took part in the battles on the sea routes. The losses included 15 vessels, including the modern liners Piłsudski and Chrobry.
Learn more about the Polish Navy during WW2:
Check our “Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom” project to read more about the Polish Armed Forces in the West: