Navy
Navy
Posted on Aug 16, 2015
Have you heard of the S.S. Jean Nicolet? This is a good example of what Allied Merchant Marines faced in WW2.
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This is one of the more egregious examples.
"The Liberty ship SS Jean Nicolet was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on July 2, 1944, off Ceylon (Sri Lanka). She had 41 merchant crew, 28 Naval Armed Guard, and 31 passengers. All survived the explosion. They were taken aboard the sub and their lifeboats and rafts were sunk. With their hands tied behind their backs they were forced to sit on deck. Japanese sailors massacred many with bayonets and rifle butts. Thirty survivors were still on deck with their hands tied when a British plane appeared. The sub crash-dived, washing the survivors into the sea. Only 23 were rescued."
http://www.armed-guard.com/ag87.html
"The Liberty ship SS Jean Nicolet was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine on July 2, 1944, off Ceylon (Sri Lanka). She had 41 merchant crew, 28 Naval Armed Guard, and 31 passengers. All survived the explosion. They were taken aboard the sub and their lifeboats and rafts were sunk. With their hands tied behind their backs they were forced to sit on deck. Japanese sailors massacred many with bayonets and rifle butts. Thirty survivors were still on deck with their hands tied when a British plane appeared. The sub crash-dived, washing the survivors into the sea. Only 23 were rescued."
http://www.armed-guard.com/ag87.html
Military History
Navy
Maritime
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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My great uncle Donald Branch Ferguson (ca 1944). Born 12/18/15. Declared MIA 7/2/44 and presumed dead 3/6/45. He was a US Army officer headed to Burma as a passenger on the S.S. Jean Nicolet. May he and all those lost in this atrocity rest in eternal peace.
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This is a story I posted Friday POW/MIA Day about the SS Jean Nicolet. https://medium.com/the-spyglass/pow-mia-day-28b6d9344ca By the way my Grandfather in law is Captain Nilsson
“America has long stood tall as a beacon of freedom thanks to the women and men of our Armed Forces who safeguard our co…
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Suicide was too easy for that Japanese sub commander. They should have peeled him like an orange. The Japanese were not noted for their treatment or respect of anyone captured, but this murderer was demonic. Thank you for honoring the crew by keeping their memory alive.
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PO2 Ron Burling
The Japanese treatment of WWII POWs was appalling, pure barbarism and a great contrast to their treatment of POWs in WWI. Many German prisoners were shipped to Japan during WWI. The Japanese treated them with great courtesy and respect, so much so, that at the end of the war many of the former POWs elected to remain in Japan.
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MCPO David Mattingly
Captain Nilsson my grandfather in law is believed to have been killed while being transported from Malayasia to Japan on an unmarked POW ship that was sunk by the U.S.
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Deborah Tjelmeland
My Great Uncle was aboard that ship. He was an Army Sgt. / Medical Corp going to take care of the wounded on the return back to the states. He had made 40+ voyages before he died at the hands of the Japanese butchers. He was declared MIA as of July 4, 1944 but it too a year for them to inform his parents (my great grandparents) that he was declared deceased and that was on July 4, 1945. He was an only son and he had talked his parents into signing so he could join because her was only 17 in 1942. He was just shy of turning 20 when he was killed. All gave some and some gave all. Least we never forget!
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