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, Staffordshire, England, in May 2025 another memorial was unveiled in Zhoushan China 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, those who survived and the Chinese fishermen, who rescued many of the men finally receiving the recognition they deserved.
We are gradually making progress.
The Lisbon Maru Memorial Association (LiMMA)
LiMMA was set-up to faciliate bringing the history of events leading up to and following the sinking of the Lisbon Maru to present and future generations and to arrange an annual gathering of remembrance at the Lisbon Maru Memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum.
We need as much help as possible, so if you haven't become a member of LiMMA yet, please take a few moments to do so. You don't have to be a relative to join, just have an interest in the history.
Thank you to everyone who has shared photos and stories of your loved ones who were aboard the Lisbon Maru. Your contributions help keep their memories alive. Please also take a moment to fill out the Personal Information Sheet for your loved ones, so their stories can be recorded and shared.
Both the Membership Form and Personal Information Sheet can be found on our Join LiMMA page.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Lisbon Maru Memorial Service
October 2nd 2025
Every year on October 2nd, the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association (LiMMA) organises a Service of Remembrance for the POWs aboard the Lisbon Maru.
This year's service will begin promptly at 12:00pm on Thursday, 2nd October 2025, at the National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) in Alrewas near Lichfield, Staffordshire. We will gather in front of the Lisbon Maru Memorial for a simple, respectful ceremony lasting approximately one hour.
The annual gathering is an important opportunity to honour and remember those we lost and to connect with others, who share this heritage. Everyone is welcome and we sincerely hope you can join us.
Anthony Jones, Chairman, Lisbon Maru Memorial Association
VJ Day Commemorations
August 15th 2025
The Royal British Legion will be holding two events at the National Memorial Arboretum; one during the day and one in the evening. There will be very limited places but we hope to get details of who can apply and how.
August 16th 2025
A special commemorative Service of Remembrance will be held at 2.00pm on 16th August at Lichfield Cathedral. Please contact Chris Wills, COFEPOW National Event Co-ordinator by email to chriswills5071@gmail.com
August 17th 2025
A short service will also be held on 17th August at the FEPOW Memorial Buiding and Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, Staffordshire. Again please contact Chris Wills.
August 30th 2025
The Royal Hong Kong Regiment (Volunteers) Association will be holding an informal remembrance service to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VJ Day at their memorial, which is in the Far East section of the National Memorial Arboretum not very far from the Lisbon Maru Memorial. The Regiment fought bravely in the Battle for Hong Kong and a number of members of the Regiment were on the Lisbon Maru.
Remembrance Sunday
November 9th 2025
It is planned for a number of relatives to march as part of the memorial service at the Cenotaph this year. It will be the first time that we have done this so the numbers able to march is not yet known.
It is also hoped that we can secure a plot in the memorial garden where we will be able to plant memorial crosses to remember our relatives.
Dongji Memorial Unveiling
20th May 2025
The Chinese Memorial, located on Qingbang Island, Dongji Town, Zhoushan, East China is dedicated to the Chinese fishermen who saved the lives of hundreds of POWs during the Lisbon Maru incident.
The memorial was unveiled on Tuesday 20th May 2025. 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.
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
Showing across the UK
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.