The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
October 1942 with the Loss of 828 British Prisoners of War
The sinking of the Lisbon Maru was a largely forgotten and unrecorded incident until recently.
The Lisbon Maru was a Japanese freighter, which was used to transport prisoners of war in the Far East and one of many vessels, which came to be known as the "hell ships".
Following the Fall of Hong Kong in December 1941, many service personnel were taken prisoner. The Lisbon Maru sailed from Hong Kong en route to Shanghai and Japan, transporting the POWs to provide labour for the Japanese war effort.
There was nothing to identify the Lisbon Maru as carrying POWs and sadly she was torpedoed. The events which followed being one of many tragic episodes of the war in the Far East.
In October 2021 a memorial was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Alrewas near Lichfield, Stafforshire, England and in March 2025 the UK première of Fang Li's documentary film "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" was shown in London. The men on board who lost their lives and those who survived finally receiving the recognition they deserved.
Now every year on October 2nd there is an annual gathering at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA). If you had relatives on board the Lisbon Maru, we hope you will come along this year and help us to facilitate bringing the history of the Lisbon Maru to current and future generations by joining LiMMA.
We are gradually making progress. Cinemas across the UK are continuing to screen "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru." If you haven't seen the film yet, it is well worth a watch and please pass this on to all those you believe might be interested in seeing the film.
On Tuesday 20th May at 9am BST a memorial was unveiled in Zhoushan, near the scene of the sinking, to recognise the courage of the Dongji Fishermen, who rescued hundreds of POWs and prevented a total massacre. Anthony Jones, our Chairman, was present along with several other members to represent the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association (LiMMA). We see this as a significant event towards the recognition all involved deserve.
An article has now been posted on the BBC news website https://www.bbc.co.uk/news.
