At the beginning of both World War I and II, Norway had among the largest merchant fleets in the world. Several thousand Norwegian merchant sailors lost their lives at sea during both wars. During World War II Norway contributed greatly to the Allied war effort through the “Norwegian Shipping and Trade Mission” (NORTRASHIP) with almost 1,000 Norwegian vessels and 30,000 sailors. According to contemporary Allied propaganda, 40 per cent of British oil imports were at times shipped by Norwegian tankers.