124103 Accession Number: 124103

Description

Two memorial services, one at Vulcan Beach, the other at Rabaul, were held to mark the fourth anniversary of the sinking of the Japanese transport Montevideo Maru in which Second AIF prisoners and civilians died. The cairn marks the spot of the first Japanese landings. A band of the Papuan Infantry Battalion is playing at the rear. On 22 June 1942 an estimated 845 prisoners of war (POWs) and 209 civilians captured by Japanese forces embarked from Rabaul, New Britain, aboard the Japanese transport ship MV Montevideo Maru. The POWs were members of the No. 1 Independent Company, 2/22 Battalion, and other units of Lark Force. Civilians included officials of the New Guinea Administration and missionaries. The ship sailed unescorted for Hainan Island. On 1 July 1942 all the prisoners died when the Montevideo Maru was torpedoed by a US Navy submarine, USS Sturgeon, off the coast of Luzon Island in the Philippines.

Details

Accession Number
124103
Photographer
Lieutenant Bruce Alfred Harding
Classification
Photograph
Object Type
Negative
Physical Description
Colour: Black & white
Support: Nitrate
Date Made
23 January 1946
Place Made
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Copyright
Copyright expired - public domain

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Accession 124103

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Last modified: 2 July 2026 - 5.44 am