ALLEN William Richard

Appears on the Navy casualties list for Worcestershire.

William Allen was a prisoner of war, captured by the Japanese during the fall of Hong Kong in January 1942.  He was one of 1,816 Allied prisoners of war who were being transferred for work purposes on the Japanese steamship Lisbon Maru.  The ship sailed from Hong Kong bound for Shanghai on 27th September 1942.  These prisoner transports were unmarked (a contravention of the Geneva agreement) and were targeted by Allied aircraft and submarines.

On 2nd October 1942, the Lisbon Maru was attacked by the American submarine, Grouper.  Attacks on the submarine by enemy aircraft and patrol boats ensured the Grouper was unable to do further damage to the ship and with no knowledge of the POWs existence, made her escape.  The Japanese soldiers eventually abandoned the stricken ship after securing the hatches over the holds containing the POWs, leaving them trapped in dire conditions.  The ship was taken into tow heading for Shanghai but sank off the China coast.  Several hundred of the prisoners managed to escape by cutting through the ropes holding down the hatches, the remaining were lost, presumed drowned.

A letter from Rector Howard S. Bailey, The Rectory, Upton on Severn dated 20th May 1950 can be found within war records held at Worcestershire Archives requesting that Corporal William Richard Allen, Royal Marines be added to the county roll of honour.

The following information is courtesy of Steve Denton:
The ‘X’ in William Allen’s service number means that he only signed on as a Marine for the duration of the war.

William Allen has no known grave, the photograph available shows his name on Plymouth Naval Memorial.