The National Archives holds many records about the Montevideo Maru disaster. There are papers concerning and references to Australians and others taken prisoner or interned by Japanese forces in Rabaul, and to the sinking of the Montevideo Maru, in correspondence files of Australian Government agencies, particularly the Department of External Territories. Many partial nominal lists of missing military and civilian (official, missionary, resident etc.) personnel from Rabaul and elsewhere in New Guinea are filed in these items. One list, for example, comprises part of the one sent to Australia by Williams [MP727/1, GP25/293]; another names the Rabaul writers of letters dropped from the air by the Japanese over Port Moresby on 28 April 1942 [A518, DS16/2/1 PART 1].

Official and legal correspondence concerning particular missing individuals (for example, the issue of death certificates or entitlements); reports of investigations into, press clippings about and government statements on missing personnel and the loss of the Montevideo Maru; and describing the sinking are also included.

Records and links

Records on the sinking of the Montevideo Maru and identification of those who died
Title or description of record Date Series and item numbers
Department of Territories (CA 60)    
Information re Death Forms for persons who were aboard Japanese prison ship "Montevideo Maru" 1964–8 A452, 1964/7853
Civilians detained by Japanese 1942–5 A518, DS16/2/1 Parts 1–4
Defence – General – Information of deaths for persons lost on the MONTEVIDEO MARU 1945–6 A518, GR16/2/1
Department of External Territories (CA 42)    
Civilians detained by Japanese 1942–51 A518, DS16/2/1 Parts 1–4
Internees - Australians abroad. Civilians reported lost on board - SS "Montevideo Maru" [includes nominal list of 210 civilians embarked on the Montevideo Maru] 1945–47 A1066, IC45/55/3/19
Information on Europeans who died during Japanese captivity – incl statement by Min of External Affairs Oct 1945 1945–8 A7030, 4
Persons lost on "Montevideo Maru" c1946 A7030, 6
Civilian war dead: Territory of Papua New Guinea. 1945–8 A7030, 9
Persons reported to be internees of the Japanese - exclusive of RC missionaries, Chinese and non-Europeans 1942–4 A7030, 10
List of Members of New Guinea Volunteer Rifles on full-time duty reported to have been on board "Montevideo Maru" when torpedoed on 1/7/1942 c1942 A7030, 13
2nd Echelon, Army Headquarters (CA 2002)    
Japanese records relating to Prisoner of War deaths medical records and other lists many in Japanese 1942–6 B3856, 144/1/389
[Missing Personnel Rabaul Garrison][contains: nominal rolls and related correspondence file titled 'Statutory Declarations New Britain'] 1946 B3856, 145/4/196
Allied Prisoners of War transferred from Rabaul 1945–6 B3856, 144/14/84
Report on investigations in Manila and Japan re Australian Prisoners of War and civilians by Major H S Williams Liaison Officer No 1 Australian Prisoners of War Contact and Enquiry Unit 31 August - 6 December 1945 [concerns RAAF personnel at Rabaul] 1945–6 B3856, 144/14/81
Report on investigations in Manila and Japan re Australian Prisoners of War and civilians by Major H S Williams Liaison Officer No 1 Australian Prisoners of War Contact and Enquiry Unit 31 August – 6 December 1945 [includes a translation of a report from Osaka Chosen Kaisha (owner of Montevideo Maru) re sinking] 1945–6 B3856, 144/14/89
Department of the Army, Central Office(CA 36)    
Re Rabaul Garrison internees lost in Montevideo Maru [includes translation of 'portion' of Japanese list of POWs on Montevideo Maru forwarded to Japanese Navy Department from Rabaul and sent to Australia by Major Williams] 1945–6 MP727/1, GP25/334
Major Williams – Reports re PWIB [Prisoners of War Information Bureau] Tokyo 1945–8 MP742/1, 336/1/116
War crimes – Shipping – During movement at sea [includes nominal rolls of prisoners of war lost on the 'Montevideo Maru'; 2 components; 7.5cm] 1946–8 MP742/1, 336/1/1614
"Montevideo Maru" Nominal Roll Civilian Internees Lost at Sea as Result of Sinking 1945–6 MP742/1, 255/15/1643