Why the Hell-ships?
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Submitted by Niall OReilly on Sun, 2014-06-08 19:56
During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong many POWs were transported on Hell Ships to Japan to do forced labour. Altogether, there were six transport drafts, including SS Lisbon Maru, and the SS Naura Maru?
Why were these particular individuals send to Japan on the hell ships, while others lived out the war in Hong Kong's POW camps?
I have read that following the fall of Hong Kong all prisoners were obliged to sign a document to say they would not escape? Those who did not sign were sent to Japan.
Can anyone corroborate this explanation?
http://nialljoreilly.com/2013/12/07/barney-byrne-irish-prisoner-of-war-p...
Niall
ong Kong all prisoners were obliged to sign a document to say they would not escap
Forum:
re: Why the Hell-ships?
Hi Niall,
I recommend Tony Banham's book "We shall suffer there".
On page 55, he writes:
The first draft of prisoners of war to Japan, on the Maru Shi, boarded on 3 September 1942 and left Hong Kong the following day with 618 POWs aboard. These were the 'hard men', many of whom had refused to sign the 'no escape' chit.
So some (most?) of the men in this first draft hadn't signed the no-escape document, but not all.
On page 59, the entry for Friday, 18 September 1942, he writes:
And then a second draft to Japan was arranged. As before, men were segregated and innoculated, but this time - following the success of the earlier voyage to Yokohama - the Japanese were more confident. This time they demanded 2,000 of the fit POWs to be loaded. In fact 2,000 'fit' men no longer existed, but nearly 1,900 would be readied for the voyage.
No mention of the no-escape document for this or the later drafts, just about the men's fitness.
Regards, David