On this day, the first vessels carrying Canadian troops bound for Britain set off from Halifax, the capital of the province of Nova Scotia.
The soldiers were aboard the troop ships Duchess of Bedford, Monarch of Bermuda, Empress of Britain, Aquitania, and the Empress of Australia.
The journey across the Atlantic was highly dangerous, with u-boats hunting throughout the waters. The five troop ships were protected on the first stage of the route by the Canadian warships HMCS Ottawa, HMCS Restigouche, HMCS Fraser and HMCS St. Laurent.
For the second part of the journey, in the middle of the Atlantic, the troopships were escorted by the British ships HMS Repulse, HMS Resolution and HMS Furious. And for the final part of the journey, they were escorted by 12 destroyers and one cruiser.
