On 22 June 1942, 1053 Australian civilian and military prisoners interned by the Japanese invasion forces in Rabaul, New Guinea, were transferred to the Japanese freighter, Montevideo Maru. Nine days later, on 1 July 1942, off the coast of the Philippines, the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine Sturgeon. All the prisoners died. The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia’s greatest maritime disaster. This section gathers together material and links regarding the Montevideo Maru.

Ballarat memorials to Australian POWs and Montevideo Maru
Unveiling of Montevideo Maru plaque at Hellships Memorial, Subic Bay
Minister announces $100,000 for Montevideo Maru memorial
Opposition promises funding for Montevideo Maru memorial
Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Memorial Appeal

Montevideo Maru Committee Newsletter

No 1, May 2009
No 2, June 2009
No 3, July 2009
No 4, August 2009
No 5, September 2009
No 6, October 2009
No 7, November 2009
No 8, December 2009
No 9, January 2010

For later issues of this Newsletter, contact for information on the Friends of Montevideo Maru.

Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society

A DVD of the historic parliamentary proceedings to mark the invasion of the New Guinea Islands and the loss of the Montevideo Maru has been produced for the Society by PNGAA member Phil Donnison and is now available. The DVD is in two parts: a short version, A Flame Never Extinguished, providing highlights of the events in parliament on 21 June; and Regret & Resolution, the full coverage. Gently transporting the viewer between Canberra and the New Guinea islands is the beautiful and authentic PNG island music harmonising in the background. Copies of the DVD are available to Society members for $20 ($40 for non-members) including post and packing.

Internet: Transfer funds to the Society's bank account BSB 082-401 A/c No 16-083-2367. Notify us by email to

Post: Cheques to the Rabaul & Montevideo Maru Society at PO Box 1743, Neutral Bay NSW 2089

69th anniversary commemoration
Two major events will be held in Canberra next July to mark the 69th anniversary of the sinking of the Montevideo Maru. There will be a reunion lunch at the National Press Club on Saturday 2 July and an ecumenical memorial service in the RMC Chapel at Duntroon on Sunday 3 July. People interested in attending should contact or 0409 031 089 or 02 9449 4129.

The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru DVD

The DVD: The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru produced by John Schindler, is now available. Following the launch on Foxtel in November 2009 of the documentary, the DVD has bonus material in addition to the extended version of the documentary, which runs for almost two hours.

There is coverage of the service at the Hellships Memorial Subic Bay for the 1 July 2009 dedication of the shrine to those lost on the Montevideo Maru. This coverage includes excerpts from all speeches and shots of the magnificent wreaths containing many beautiful flowers.

The extended DVD is on sale for $40 including packaging and posting.

ORDER YOUR COPY: Cheques for $40 to ‘Montevideo Maru Memorial Committee’ at PO Box 1743, Neutral Bay NSW 2089. Or make a direct deposit to the Committee’s bank account: BSB 082-401 Account No 16-083-2367. If you make a direct deposit, let Teddy Haryjanto know by sending an email to

Note: Anyone who has an interest in the Montevideo Maru, or the fall of the New Guinea Islands, can become a Friend of the Montevideo Maru by emailing Andrea Williams at:

World premiere airing of The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru

The History Channel are premiering one of their most significant programs for the year this Remembrance Day, Wednesday 11 November at 7.30pm AEDT: THE TRAGEDY OF THE MONTEVIDEO MARU.
 
Introduced by Sky News anchor Jim Waley—who lost a relative in the tragedy—and narrated by actor John Jarratt, The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru is an explosive two-hour documentary film that tells the forgotten story of the death of over 1000 Australians who were locked in the hold of the Japanese POW ship Montevideo Maru when the vessel was torpedoed.
 
Twice as many Australians died in this single incident than the entire Vietnam War. And yet remarkably, most Australians have never heard about it and it remains our most enduring wartime mystery. The ship has never been found.
 
I have attached the promo clip for the documentary which is accompanied by the Midnight Oil song "In the Valley" featuring the lyrics "My grandfather went down with the Montevideo Maru. The rising sun sent him floating to his rest." Sadly, Peter Garrett lost his grandfather in the tragedy. (Kim Beasley, patron of the Montevideo Memorial Committee, also lost an uncle.)
 
In the early hours of July 1, 1942, the POW "hell ship" Montevideo Maru was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines by an American submarine, the USS Sturgeon. What the Americans did not realise at the time was that the boat was in fact a floating prison, holding over 1000 Australian POWs and civilians. Tragically, 1053 Australians perished on that fateful day.
 
The Tragedy of the Montevideo Maru recounts the harrowing story of the sacrifice and suffering endured by these forgotten Australians during World War II. It features detailed re-enactments of the shocking event as well as in-depth interviews with soldiers and crew members speaking publicly for the very first time, including the only Japanese crew member to survive the Montevideo Maru and a USS Sturgeon crew member who witnessed the sinking ship through the periscope.

This moving documentary also explores the broader story of the Australian POW experience during this tumultuous period of WWII and features interviews with both Australian and British survivors of other hell ship sinkings—and honours the brave men and women who lost their lives during this time.
 

External links

www.montevideomaru.info
www.montevideomaru.com.au
www.montevideomaru.org
www.annemccosker.co.uk/Masked_Eden_Files/montevideo_maru.htm
www.jje.info/lostlives/places/montevideomaru.html
news.ninemsn.com.au/montevideo-news.aspx