to perpetuate the memory and history of our dead

28.11 Hellships

I’ve compiled a list of some of the TBR-related Hellships and who they transported where and when. The first 5 columns came from a Dutch website; the latter 2 are mine.

ship name arr date arr port onboard (deaths) origin> work party

destination

Kyokusei Maru5/20/1942Victoria Point1200 Sum>BurmaA Force
Celebes Maru 15/24/1942Mergui1000 Singa> BurmaA Force
England Maru 15/24/1942Mergui500 Sum>BurmaBr Sum Bn
Toyohashi Maru5/24/1942Mergui2000 Singa> BurmaA Force
Maru Ni6/9/1942Singapore500 Java>Singa500 Dutch
Ume Maru7/17/1942Sandakan1494 Singa> BurmaB Force
Tufuku Maru8/11/1942Singapore50029Java>Singaunk
Tatu Maru8/17/1942Tavoy300 within BurmaBr Sum Bn moved
NN Maru 19/18/1942Singapore725 Java>SingaJava 1 Br & AUS
NN Maru 29/26/1942Singapore1300 Java>SingaJava 2 Br
Nissyo Maru 110/8/1942Singapore1200 Java>SingaGlodoc party B -A-D
Oyo Maru 110/8/1942Singapore400 Java>SingaJava 3 Fitz
Kenkon Maru10/12/1942Singapore14991Java>SingaJava 4 AUS
Dainichi Maru 310/14/1942Singapore1000 Java>SingaJava 5
Singapore Maru 110/17/1942Singapore1500 Java>SingaJava 5A Tharp
Tofuku Maru 110/19/1942Singapore2000 Java>SingaJava 5B AUS (Glodoc)
Maebashi Maru 110/22/1942Rangoon1800 Singa>BurmaFitz Party
Shinyu Maru10/25/1942sunk500100Singa>BurmaAUS -Dutch POWs
Yoshida Maru10/25/1942Singapore2700 Java>SingaGlodoc party B -D-Jv
Kunitama Maru 110/26/1942Singapore4400 Java>SingaJava 5C-F
Oyo Maru 211/1/1942Singapore1000 Java>SingaZeigler Party
Moji Maru 111/3/1942Singapore1000 Java>Singaunk
Tacoma Maru 111/7/1942Rangoon170012Java>Singa3 Fitz late (Sizemore)
Dainichi Maru 411/24/1942Moji2000 Singa>JpBr & Dutch
Singapore Maru 211/25/1942Moji110060Singa>JpScott Party
Kunitama Maru 211/27/1942Moji  Singa>Jpunk
Tofuku Maru 211/27/1942Moji120027Singa>JpZeigler to Jp
NN Maru 312/27/1942Rangoon1000 Singa> BurmaJava 5B 1000 Dutch
Pacific Maru12/30/1942Singapore350 Java>SingaSenior Officers
NN Maru 181/3/1943Rangoon401 Singa> BurmaJava 5B 400 Dutch
Usu Maru1/7/1943Singapore1978 Java>SingaJava 6 Dunlop
Harugiku Maru 11/8/1943Singapore992 Java>SingaJava 7 Dutch
Nichimei Maru1/15/1943sunk100032Singa> BurmaDutch/ Japanese
Moji Maru 21/17/1943Moulmein835 Singa> BurmaTharp
Wien1/17/1943Singapore1699 Java>SingaJava 8  Dutch
Harugiku Maru 21/18/1943Singapore3188 Java>SingaJava 9  Dutch
Tacoma Maru 21/28/1943Singapore2000 Java>SingaJava 10  Dutch
NN Maru 42/2/1943Singapore480 Java>SingaJava 11 Dutch
Maebashi Maru 22/9/1943Singapore1900 Java>SingaJava 12 Dutch
Roko Maru2/12/1943Singapore1000 Java>SingaJava 13 Br & Dutch
NN Maru 52/13/1943Padang650 Java>SumatraJava 14 Dutch > TBR
Kinta Maru 13/2/1943Singapore7 Java>SingaJava 15 (3 US =Matthews)
Kamakura Maru 23/4/1943Moji10 Singa>JpE Battery to Japan
Hawaii Maru 14/24/1943Moji1000 Singa>JpDutch Jv 12 grp
Amagi Maru5/5/1943Haroekoe1030 Java>Jp1000 Br
Cho Saki Maru5/5/1943Haroekoe1030 Java>Jp1000 Br = RAF
Kyokko Maru5/21/1943Moji15002Singa>JpG Force = from Jv 7
Wales Maru6/7/1943Moji950 Singa>JpJ Force Sawolka to Jp
Matsue Maru 17/5/1943Singapore  Java>Singa3 US to Jp/Manchuria
Harugiku Maru 39/14/1943Singapore519 Java>SingaJava 16 Br & Dutch
Makassar Maru9/30/1943Singapore2600 Java>SingaJava 17 Br & Dutch
Seishin Maru10/12/1943Moji1500 Singa>Jpfrom Java 16
Ussuri Maru10/12/1943Moji500 Singa>Jpfrom Java 16
Matsue Maru 211/15/1943Moji1155 Singa>Jpfrom Java 17
Hawaii Maru 212/3/1943Moji1230 Singa>Jpfrom Java 17 Dutch
Maru Shichi12/4/1943Moji500 Singa>Jpunk
Chuka Maru5/17/1944Padang1925 Java>SumatraJava 21 Dutch & Br
NN Maru 175/22/1944Singapore800 Java>SingaJava 20 42 US
Teia Maru 26/18/1944Moji1000 Singa>JpTBR >> Jp B-A-D
Miyo Maru6/19/1944Takao723 Singa>JpJapan 1 convoy
Hiyoki Maru6/24/1944Nagasaki450 Singa>JpJapan 1 convoy
Hozan Maru6/24/1944Nagasaki451 Singa>JpJapan 1 convoy
Kokusei Maru6/24/1944Nagasaki456 Singa>JpJapan 1 convoy
Tamahoko Maru 26/25/1944sunk772561Java>JpUS POWs
Queen Elizabeth 16/26/1944Pakanbaroe207 Singa>SumSumatra Railway
NN Maru 67/1/1944Singapore1260 Java>SingaJava 22 8 US
Queen Elisabeth 27/1/1944Pakanbaroe1260 Singa>SumSumatra Railway
Queen Elisabeth 37/27/1944Pakanbaroe728 Singa>SumSumatra Railway
Hakushika Maru8/10/1944Moji609 Singa>JpTBR >> Jp Br & Dutch
Sekiho Maru8/13/1944Moji10242Singa>JpJapan 2 TBR>>Jp
Rakuyo Maru9/12/1944sunk13181023Singa>JpTBR/BG Varley >Jp
Kinta Maru 29/17/1944Singapore1080 Java>SingaJava 24 3 US
Junyo Maru9/18/1944sunk23001626Java>SumJava 23 = US POWS
Hofuku Maru9/21/1944sunk1287997Singa>JpTBR >> Jp
Shincho Maru9/28/1944Moji573 Singa>JpJapan 2 TBR>>Jp
NN Maru 161/11/1945Singapore958 Java>SingaJava 25
Awa Maru1/13/1945Moji525 Singa>JpTBR >> Jp 32 US
Kinta Maru 31/18/1945Singapore639 Java>SingaJava 25 B-A-D

There is a wealth of information about the Hellships on this excellent site. Here is a sample:

https://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Rakuyo_Maru/

From the Imperial War Museum, London:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-sinking-of-prisoner-of-war-transport-ships-in-the-far-east

From the Dutch TRACESofWAR website: [This article was originally published in Dutch on the website Dodenakkers.nl.]

https://www.tracesofwar.com/articles/2872/Sinking-of-the-Junyo-Maru.htm

https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/56828/Memorial-Japanese-Sea-Transports.htm