THE SINKING OF THE MONTEVIDEO MARU
The Japanese vessel Montevideo Maru was used as a prison ship in World War II. On 22
June 1942, 1053 civilian and military prisoners interned in Rabaul, Papua New
Guinea, were transferred to this ship.
Nine days later,
on 1 July 1942, en route to Hainan Island, off Cape Bojeador in the
Philippines, the Montevideo Maru was torpedoed and sunk by the American
submarine Sturgeon. All the prisoners died in Australia’s greatest maritime
disaster.
The Montevideo
Maru Memorial Committee was established to gain official recognition
of the sinking and to encourage
further research into the events that led to the tragedy.
You can become a Friend of Montevideo Maru at no cost and receive regular updates by emailing Keith Jackson here.
Montevideo Maru newsletter
Montevideo Maru in the media
The Age, 28 June 2009: Aussie families remember Montevideo Maru by Ilya Gridneff
Foxtel, 26 June 2009: The History Channel commissions a special to commemorate Australia’s greatest ever maritime disaster
Parliament of Australia,
25 June 2009: Ministerial Statements on the Montevideo Maru
The Australian, 20 June 2009: Mystery of the missing hell ship by Mark Day
Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 2009: Seeking comfort and closure 67 years on by John Huxley
The Mainichi Daily News, 15 June 2009: Memorial Service for victims of WW2 Montevideo Maru
North Shore times, 4 June 2009: Andrea's quest for closure on our worst maritime disaster by Katrina Adamski
Parliament of Australia
Radio Australia, 6 May 2009: Call for recognition of PNG Montevideo Maru disaster, Keith Jackson interviewed by Firmin Nanol
AAP, 24 April 2009 - Montevideo Maru families want war grave
Montevideo Maru web references
Rod Miller’s Montevideo Maru website
http://www.montevideomaru.info/
John Schindler’s
documentary film (in production) http://www.montevideomarufilm.com/
Montevideo Maru Foundation
Lost Lives website
http://www.jje.info/lostlives/places/montevideomaru.html
Liz Thurston’s ‘Dear Mr Rudd’ letter
http://asopa.typepad.com/asopa_people/2008/05/dear-mr-rudd-re.html
Rabaul Nurses website
http://www.rabaulnurses.com.au/Montevideo%20Maru.html
Australian POWs, World War 2 – Soldiers of Lark Force & Civilians
http://www.australian-pow-ww2.com/montevideo_maru_11.html
Ian Hodges’ talk
at Australian War Memorial
http://www.awm.gov.au/atwar/remembering1942/montevideo/transcript.asp
Ballarat Memorial
http://www.ballaratgenealogy.org.au/ex_pow_memorial.htm
Wikipedia reference
My uncle Göte Gustafsson was an ordinary seaman on board MS Herstein loading copra in Rabaul and he was one of the men on board Montevideo Maru.
My grandfather had some old letters from the Red Cross which he got letters 3-4 years after the sinking.
Posted by: Håkan Gustafsson | 12 July 2009 at 03:08 PM
My uncle Spr Francis Gordon Williams TX4411 Fortress Engineers (age 22) from Lenah Valley in Hobart was lost on the Montevideo Maru. His brother, my father, now deceased, never got over the loss of his brother and mate. He would be so happy to see all the efforts being made to recognise the sacrifice of so many. We as family members are carrying on the memory. I have pictures and letters that Francis wrote my father from Rabaul. Robert Williams, Perth, WA.
Posted by: Robert Williams | 21 June 2009 at 06:49 PM