The WW II Battle of the Atlantic

In prior stories, Cossitt Cousins have shown their willingness to defend their country in battle.  Augustus "Gus" Cossitt was born in 1927 and at 16 started to serve Canada in WW II.  Gus was the 5th Great Grandson of Ruth and Rene Cossitt.  In 2011 the resident of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, participated in the annual Battle of the Atlantic commemoration ceremony.  These were some of his comments made at the time.

“I try not to think of anything anymore, it’s a bit too emotional.”

The battle, which lasted from 1939-1945, pitted German warships and aircraft against allied merchant ships. The allies eventual victory with 783 U-boats sank, came at a great loss. There were 3,500 merchant ships and 175 warships lost in the epic battle claiming tens of thousands of casualties.

"The Bay of Islands area was hit hard, with more than 70 seamen from this area dying among the more than 1,500 from this province."

“We can’t go to a graveyard and look at the white crosses and the red poppies.  We don’t have them. Their grave is the bottom of the ocean, and covering them is the salt water, that’s it."

“As long as we keep going we will honour them, and they deserve a lot of honour.”