Tag: 1942

Lisbon Maru (1942): In Praise of the Chinese Fishermen of Dongji! The People of Britain Thank You! (29.8.2022)

The remaining 936 British POWs were transported to Japan on the ‘Shinsei Maru’. By the time this ship reached the port of Moji in Kyushu – a further five British POWs had died. Of the original number of 1,816 British POWs that had boarded the ‘Lisbon Maru’ on September 27th, 1942, by the time they eventually arrived in Japan (around October 8th, 1942), only 931 British POWs remained! (What happened to the five seriously wounded British POWs left in Shanghai I do not know). This entire episode means that through a combination of a US ‘War Crime’ and continued Imperial Japanese ‘War Crimes’, in a matter of just eleven days in 1942, these two countries conspired to murder 885 British POWs! The number would have been much higher if not for the selfless actions of the Chinese fishermen (and their families) who came from Dongji Island!  

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China: 1942 Sinking of the ‘Lisbon Maru’ – US War Crime? (29.8.2022)

The ship named the ‘Lisbon Maru’ was carrying around 2,000 British POWs (British military personnel captured during the fall of Hong Kong being transported to Japan) when the ship was hit by a torpedo fired by the USS Grouper (part of the 81st US Pacific Fleet Submarine Force) on October 2nd, 1942! The ‘Lisbon Maru’ sank just off the Zhoushan (Zhejiang) area of the East China coast! It is reported that although 843 British POWs died due to drowning (and the machine-gunning of men in the water by other elements of the Imperial Japanese Navy active in the area) – another 384 British POWs were saved by the actions of local Chinese fishermen!

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MI Kalinin (М.И. Калинин) Guides My Hand (28.9.1942)

Stalingrad, that big city with historical fighting traditions, has for two months now held the enemy hordes at bay in bitter battle, inflicting such losses on them as have to all intents and purposes, stabilised the rest of the front. Here heroic deeds are a daily occurrence. This should be shown by citing facts, without indulging in rhetoric and loud phrases. Our men do not need a reporter’s praises – the best praise for them is a faithful account of their deeds.

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HMS Beaumaris Castle (FY 992): Telegraphist George Smith Recounts the ‘St Kilda’ Incident (1944?)

When I was young (probably during the 1970s) my grandfather would tell me exactly the same stories! He also said that one-day he fired a rifle at a nearby Nazi German sea-mine that exploded with such force that the HMS Beaumaris Castle lifted-up into the air before falling (with a ‘thud’) back into the sea! As I have no way of knowing for sure – and given that the log-book of the HMS Beaumaris is ‘missing’ – George Smith could well be right in his recollections. This is despite the MOD ‘hinting’ that an important incident took-place on November 26th, 1942 – just seventeen-days after Arthur Gibson came aboard – and around a year prior to George Smith came aboard! When human-beings age a funny thing can happen to their memories. Details can be clearly remembered whilst all-round contexts are either completely forgotten or equally mistaken for other interpretations of reality, etc. Whatever the case, I thank you, Mr George Smith, for trusting me – and trusting in me – because you knew and respected by grandfather – Arthur Gibson! I will never forget your trust!

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