At the 80th anniversary of the sinking of the ‘Montevideo Maru’

Jul 04 2022 Updated July 4, 2022

Sentinel-Times

3 min read

Among the local men who drowned when the prisoner of war ship the ‘Montevideo Maru’ was sunk were local baker Fred Broadbent left, member of the Howard family of Leongatha and a premiership captain-coach, Jack Howard right, and railways builder Tom Sangster seated.

By Leongatha historian, Lyn Skillern THE sinking of the Montevideo Maru, a Japanese transport ship, on July 1, 1942, Australia’s worst maritime disaster, was commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra last Friday, July 1, 2022 - its 80th anniversary.

The vessel was carrying 1053 Australian Prisoners of War from Rabaul in Papau New Guinea to Hainan Island off China. Local historian...