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
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Title or description of record
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Date
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Series and item numbers
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Department of Territories (CA 60)
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|
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Information re Death Forms for persons who were aboard Japanese prison ship "Montevideo
Maru"
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1964–8
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A452, 1964/7853
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Civilians detained by Japanese
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1942–5
|
A518, DS16/2/1 Parts 1–4
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Defence – General – Information of deaths for persons lost on the MONTEVIDEO
MARU
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1945–6
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A518, GR16/2/1
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Department of External Territories (CA 42)
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Civilians detained by Japanese
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1942–51
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A518, DS16/2/1 Parts 1–4
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Internees - Australians abroad. Civilians reported lost on board - SS "Montevideo
Maru" [includes nominal list of 210 civilians embarked on the Montevideo Maru]
|
1945–47
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A1066, IC45/55/3/19
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Information on Europeans who died during Japanese captivity – incl statement by
Min of External Affairs Oct 1945
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1945–8
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A7030, 4
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Persons lost on "Montevideo Maru"
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c1946
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A7030, 6
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Civilian war dead: Territory of Papua New Guinea.
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1945–8
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A7030, 9
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Persons reported to be internees of the Japanese - exclusive of RC missionaries,
Chinese and non-Europeans
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1942–4
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A7030, 10
|
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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
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c1942
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A7030, 13
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2nd Echelon, Army Headquarters (CA 2002)
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|
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Japanese records relating to Prisoner of War deaths medical records and other lists
many in Japanese
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1942–6
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B3856, 144/1/389
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[Missing Personnel Rabaul Garrison][contains: nominal rolls and related correspondence
file titled 'Statutory Declarations New Britain']
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1946
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B3856, 145/4/196
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Allied Prisoners of War transferred from Rabaul
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1945–6
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B3856, 144/14/84
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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]
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1945–6
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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]
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1945–6
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B3856, 144/14/89
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Department of the Army, Central Office(CA 36)
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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]
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1945–6
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MP727/1, GP25/334
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Major Williams – Reports re PWIB [Prisoners of War Information Bureau] Tokyo
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1945–8
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MP742/1, 336/1/116
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War crimes – Shipping – During movement at sea [includes nominal rolls
of prisoners of war lost on the 'Montevideo Maru'; 2 components; 7.5cm]
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1946–8
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MP742/1, 336/1/1614
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"Montevideo Maru" Nominal Roll Civilian Internees Lost at Sea as Result of Sinking
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1945–6
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MP742/1, 255/15/1643
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