Greater recognition for Montevideo Maru
20 November 2009
BY JOHN HUXLEY, SYDNEY
Relatives of more than 1000 Australian troops and
civilians who lost their lives in the sinking of the Montevideo Maru in 1942
have had a breakthrough in their campaign for greater understanding of the
tragedy.
The Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Alan Griffin, told the
Herald yesterday: ''I think we all agree now that the detail and the
significance of the event have not received appropriate recognition in the
past.''
He said the Government would investigate the possibility
of declaring the site of the sinking, off the
His statement followed a meeting with a delegation from
the Montevideo Maru Memorial Committee led by its chairman, Keith Jackson, and
Kim Beazley, ambassador designate to the
Mr Jackson welcomed the Government's support, but said
provision of a memorial - probably in the grounds of the Australian War
Memorial - would cost between $500,000 and $1 million.
''It will require public fund-raising on a massive scale,
which the Government will support.''
Mr Jackson said the meeting had been productive and had
achieved breakthroughs in several other areas.
The War Memorial will include a permanent Montevideo Maru
display in its revamped World War II galleries. The Government will renew the
search for Japanese papers bearing the names of those who died on the ship.
''It will also be represented on and support the formation
of a working party to ensure the story of the invasion of Rabaul and the
sinking of the ship becomes a more recognised part of Australian history.''
The Montevideo Maru, which was being used by the Japanese
to move civilians and prisoners of war, was sunk by mistake by the submarine
USS Sturgeon. It remains the worst maritime disaster in
Source: Sydney Morning Herald, 20 November 2009
Two related stories in The Catholic Weekly:
Unravelling the riddle of the Montevideo Maru, by Alan Gill
Ex-POW Sister: call on Diggers' deaths, by Brian Davies
Thank you for all this positive information from the meeting with Alan Griffin.
Sounds like fund raising is the name of the game.
It would have been great if they had offered more financially but governemnts don't tend to do this. We found this with the Kavieng memorial.
Fortunately the Ambassador Nick Warner did contribute some money on behalf of the government when he knew the position. Others of our group contributed.
Thank you for your part in this. You must feel so pleased that at last the government "is engaged" and that both Kim Beasley and Alan Griffin have offered their support in the "challenge ahead".
A wonderful outcome.
Posted by: Margaret Henderson | 20 November 2009 at 04:52 AM