Thread: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941

joe scouse · 08-05-2007, 11:11 AM

HI My brother along with many others was taken prisoner by the japs when Hong Kong fell on Christmas day 1941, sometime later they were put aboard a jap cargo boat named the Lisbon Maru all shoved down below in the ships holds with no sanitation no water ect the hatches were fastend down with no hope of escaping ,she left port heading for japan but she was spotted by a American submarine named Grouper she fired several torpedos into the Lisbon Maru and as the ship started to settle in the water some prisoners managed to break out of the holds with the result some were shot and killed while others tried to swim away but the japs were shooting them in the water,very many of the lads lost there lives in the sinking of the infamous LISBON MARU ,Does anybody have more information on this DISASTER .JOE

Starlight · 08-05-2007, 12:22 PM

Hi Joe,

I have a similar story. My father-in-laws brother Frederick Charles Ringrow was a volunteer reserve in the R.A.F and became a prisonor of war. In 1943 the Japanese decided to move 640 sick men back to Java aboard the Suez Maru. Of these 422 were British. Escorted by a minesweeper W-12, the Suez Maru set sail from Port Amboina but while entering the Java Sea the vessel was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Bonefish. On 29/11/1943 at 14.50 the minesweeper opened fire, using a machine gun and rifles. Rafts and lifeboats were then rammed and sunk by the W-12. The firing did not cease till all the prisoners were killed. All but one of the British died.

joe scouse · 09-05-2007, 11:49 AM

THANKS Starlight it just makes me hate the B------s all the more better not say anymore i get so twisted about this needless loss of life .cheers joe

Starlight · 10-05-2007, 01:39 AM

Hi Joe,

Have you seen this site :-

http://www.cofepow.org.uk/remembrance/Lisbon_Maru/index.htm

joe scouse · 11-05-2007, 01:52 PM

HELLO Starlight yes thank you i i have been intouch with them overtime thank you for drawing it to my attention ,go well ,joe

T.Lambert · 25-07-2008, 01:39 PM

My grandads brother in buried in Sai Wan Cemetery, and he is in the Roll of Honour 1939-1945. This is an Excellent website and has lots of information on servicemen who died in the battle of Hong Kong. http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/

08-05-2007, 11:11 AM	#1 (permalink)
joe scouse Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Perth sunny west Australia Posts: 25	CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 HI My brother along with many others was taken prisoner by the japs when Hong Kong fell on Christmas day 1941, sometime later they were put aboard a jap cargo boat named the Lisbon Maru all shoved down below in the ships holds with no sanitation no water ect the hatches were fastend down with no hope of escaping ,she left port heading for japan but she was spotted by a American submarine named Grouper she fired several torpedos into the Lisbon Maru and as the ship started to settle in the water some prisoners managed to break out of the holds with the result some were shot and killed while others tried to swim away but the japs were shooting them in the water,very many of the lads lost there lives in the sinking of the infamous LISBON MARU ,Does anybody have more information on this DISASTER .JOE

08-05-2007, 12:22 PM	#2 (permalink)
Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Essex Posts: 14,922 Total Awards: 6	Re: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 Hi Joe, I have a similar story. My father-in-laws brother Frederick Charles Ringrow was a volunteer reserve in the R.A.F and became a prisonor of war. In 1943 the Japanese decided to move 640 sick men back to Java aboard the Suez Maru. Of these 422 were British. Escorted by a minesweeper W-12, the Suez Maru set sail from Port Amboina but while entering the Java Sea the vessel was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Bonefish. On 29/11/1943 at 14.50 the minesweeper opened fire, using a machine gun and rifles. Rafts and lifeboats were then rammed and sunk by the W-12. The firing did not cease till all the prisoners were killed. All but one of the British died. Last edited by Starlight; 08-05-2007 at 12:29 PM.
	Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Hampshire:- Barks, Bartholomew, Carpenter, Cousens, Cousins, Dumper, Gallagher, Goodchild, Glasspool, Hoskins, Light, Mason, Monday, Mundy, Pearce, Pitt, Shepherd, Spreadbury, Staniford, Terrill, Thornton, Warne, Webb, Woodford & many more. Top Tip: Use the forum search engine

09-05-2007, 11:49 AM	#3 (permalink)
joe scouse Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Perth sunny west Australia Posts: 25	Re: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 THANKS Starlight it just makes me hate the B------s all the more better not say anymore i get so twisted about this needless loss of life .cheers joe

10-05-2007, 01:39 AM	#4 (permalink)
Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: South Essex Posts: 14,922 Total Awards: 6	Re: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 Hi Joe, Have you seen this site :- http://www.cofepow.org.uk/remembrance/Lisbon_Maru/index.htm
	Starlight Ancestry Aid Manager Hampshire:- Barks, Bartholomew, Carpenter, Cousens, Cousins, Dumper, Gallagher, Goodchild, Glasspool, Hoskins, Light, Mason, Monday, Mundy, Pearce, Pitt, Shepherd, Spreadbury, Staniford, Terrill, Thornton, Warne, Webb, Woodford & many more. Top Tip: Use the forum search engine

11-05-2007, 01:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
joe scouse Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Perth sunny west Australia Posts: 25	Re: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 HELLO Starlight yes thank you i i have been intouch with them overtime thank you for drawing it to my attention ,go well ,joe

25-07-2008, 01:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
T.Lambert Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 41	Re: CHRISTMAS DAY HONG KONG 1941 My grandads brother in buried in Sai Wan Cemetery, and he is in the Roll of Honour 1939-1945. This is an Excellent website and has lots of information on servicemen who died in the battle of Hong Kong. http://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/
T.Lambert Regular Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 41