Belfast Screening of the Sinking of The Lisbon Maru
Another great event spreading awareness of the Lisbon Maru into another part of the British Isles, which took place on 5th September 2025
Major (retired) Brian Finch attended a screening of Fang Li’s Documentary film in Belfast Northern Ireland on 5 September. This had been arranged by the Chinese Consul General in Belfast, Li Nan.
Also invited was the family of the late John Allison a Sick Berth Chief Petty Officer in HMS Tamar amongst the 1,816 POWs on the Lisbon Maru. John survived the sinking but sadly died soon after reaching Japan. He is now commemorated on the Ballymena War Memorial (pictured).
On the evening of 4th September, Consul General Li hosted a reception marking the 80th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War attended by a large gathering including two MPs and a number of other dignitaries. The event included a short trailer of Fang Li's film.
Three screenings of the film were shown on 5th September each with an audience of around 100 people and the film was well received in all cases. For the first showing Brian was able to introduce the film and afterwards describe other developments including the memorials at the National Memorial Arboretum and on Dongji Island and the growing friendship between Chinese and British people.
Another great event spreading awareness of the Lisbon Maru into another part of the British Isles.
Read Major (retired) Brian Finch's full account of the Belfast screening and reception.
