Werden, George H.

Service Highlights

  • Born November 2, 1926 in Alvinston, Ontario.
  • Enlisted in the Merchant Navy on May 14, 1944.
  • Served aboard the S.S. Alderpark during the Second World War.
  • Served in the Far East.
  • Discharged on July 9, 1945.
  • Married Marion Werden
  • Died December 27, 2014 at St. Marys Memorial Hospital
  • Member of St. Marys Legion Branch 236 for 40 years.
  • Commemorated through the St. Marys Legion Veterans Banner Program.

A Life and Service Remembered

George H. Werden was born in Alvinston, Ontario, in 1926 and came of age during the final years of the Second World War. In May 1944, while still a young man, he joined the Merchant Navy and entered a dangerous but often overlooked branch of wartime service.

Serving aboard the S.S. Alderpark, George’s duties took him to the Far East, a vast theatre where merchant ships were essential to maintaining supply lines, transporting goods, and supporting Allied operations across great distances. Merchant seamen often faced harsh conditions, long voyages, and significant risk from enemy action, disease, and the challenges of life at sea.

During his service, George spent six weeks hospitalized in Madras, India, suffering from bronchial pneumonia before eventually returning to duty and later being discharged in July 1945.

Though Merchant Navy veterans were sometimes less publicly recognized than other branches, their work was vital to the war effort. Following the war, George built a life rooted in family and community he carried these experiences home with him, sharing stories of his travels and service for years afterward. His long membership with St. Marys Legion Branch 236 reflected a continued connection to remembrance and veteran community life until George passed sadly passed away on December 27, 2014.

Major Battles and Operations

  • Merchant Navy service during the Second World War
  • Service aboard the S.S. Alderpark
  • Far East wartime shipping operations
  • Overseas hospitalization in Madras, India

Learn More

Royal Canadian Legion Military Service Recognition Book Volume III
https://on.legion.ca/remembrance/military-service-recognition-book/msrb/

Obituary

https://stratfordbeaconherald.remembering.ca/obituary/george-werden-1073400827