Themes

The Navy at Home and Abroad

• Shore Establishments

• Humanitarian Relief

• Flying the Flag

• Letters Home

• Prisoners of War

  • JM D’Arcy-Levy

  • David Bain

  • Rupert Lonsdale

  • HMS Oswald

  • Mervyn Scott-Lindslay

  • Ken McDonald

  • Jim Fallace

  • R H Johnson

Learning

• How to: Understand a Uniform

Jim Fallace

The capture and survival Jim Fallace, Japanese POW 1941 - 1942

Former Royal Marine Jim Fallace was serving in the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the fall of Hong Kong in December 1941. Japanese forces captured and imprisoned him in Shamshuipo Camp. They then attemptied to transport him and other prisoners to slave labour camps in Japan aboard the prison ship 'Lisbon Maru'.

They endured squalid conditions aboard before an American submarine attacked the ship. Not many prisoners survived. Some drowned, while the Japanese managed to recapture others. Fallace was one of only six prisoners from the ship that remained at large. With two other survivors he then embarked on an epic journey across Japanese-occupied China to freedom.

Inspecting the Kings Squad (769 Troop) at Commando Training Centre, 24th March 2000. Jim Fallace, the oldest living holder of the Kings Badge, is seen speaking to this year’s recipient of the Kings Badge, which Fallace had just presented. (RMM)

Article highlights

• The capture and survival Jim Fallace, Japanese POW 1941 - 1942

• Early career

• Prison camp

• Prison ship

• Transportation to Japan

• Escape

• Freedom and justice

   

To find out more about Fallace’s early career, select Next