LiMMA in Action
All the people, activities, events, fundraising and research which are at the core of LiMMA
Annual Memorial Service
At the National Memorial Arboretum
It was at the spring gathering held in Gloucester a couple of years ago, an announcement was made for people to join the Lisbon Maru Steering Group. With some caution, I approached Anthony and gave my name. I say I approached with caution as at the time, I was only just becoming familiar with the Lisbon Maru story and as my own relative didn't survive and pretty much all I knew was the name of the ship. I felt a little out of my depth, and in my position as a minister, I wasn't sure what skill set I could possibly offer, but none the less I stepped forward.
Over the last few years, working alongside the rest of the group, individually and collectively, we have achieved so much and yesterday on the 84th anniversary of the sinking, I was able to once again officiate the Service of Remembrance. Whilst many were eager to thank me for the service which included contrasting stories of men who survived and men who died, alongside a very personal account from Vivian Ni, I'm afraid I cannot take all the credit. The service can only take place with not just the dedication of the Steering Group, but also each and everyone, who has a vested interest in this story, the families. It is only through you sharing your stories that it builds a personal picture of the men and who they truly were. Whilst we talk about the 1816, we are always mindful that every single one of them was someone's son, brother, dad, grandad, uncle with families and lives beyond the names.
I hope that the services of remembrance that I have now conducted over the past 3 years have reflected that and that everyone, who attends or watches feels the genuine connection of our extended family. The Lisbon Maru Family.
Reverend Jean Clements
Remembrance Sunday
Sunday 8th November 2026
We are very pleased that Lisbon Maru relatives and descendants have been invited to march again at the National Remembrance Parade at the Cenotaph in London on Sunday 8th November 2026.
We had a limited number of spaces available for LiMMA Members and we thank you for the interest shown in marching. All the available places have now been allocated.
Read more about Remembrance Sunday 2025
Field of Remembrance
5th to 15th November 2026
This year for the first time, we have also secured a plot in the Field of Remembrance at St Margaret’s Church at Westminster Abbey, where memorial crosses purchased by you to remember all our relatives, who were on the Lisbon Maru will be planted.
The opening ceremony will be held on the morning of Thursday 5th November and a senior member of the Royal Family will be present to conduct a review of the plots. The plots will then be available to view by the general public from the afternoon on Thursday 5th November until Sunday 15th November.
Repatriation Service
Wednesday 18th November 2026
Every year on 18th November a service is held at the Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOWs) Repatriation Memorial in Southampton, which was one of the main ports used to repatriate FEPOWs, including many Lisbon Maru survivors.
The event is organised by LiMMA Steering Group Member and Area Co-ordinator for the Hampshire Children of Far East Prisoners of War (COFEPOW) Rob Golding, whose own father, Lance Corporal William Golding, returned on the Queen Mary to Southampton on 18th November 1945.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
The memorial is in a small park opposite Town Quay Southampton and adjacent to the medieval Wool House, which is now a pub called the Dancing Man (postcode SO14 2AR). Teas and coffees will be available at the Dancing Man from 10.00am, with the memorial procession leading off from the pub to the memorial service at 10.45am.
Read Rob's full account on our Repatriation page.
Fundraising
LiMMA pin badges for you to own!
With several LiMMA and Remembrance events coming up it is a good time to buy your LiMMA pin badges and poppies.
We also have Handknitted Poppies in a variety of colours, complete with a presentation card. Choose from red, white or purple.
As well as Handmade Resin Poppy Necklaces, which are individually made, so may vary slightly in their design.
Please click on the photos above to expand and view the items.
We suggest a minimum donation of £5 per item please.
All proceeds are donated to LiMMA.
Should you wish to purchase any of these items, please contact Jean Clements on missjeangarside@googlemail.com
LiMMA in Parliament
Invitation to Westminster
On Monday 6th July a special screening of the film The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru was shown to MPs at Westminster.
Kirsteen Sullivan, MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow, organised the event having first raised the subject of the Lisbon Maru during Business Questions in the House of Commons in May 2025. This was as a result of being contacted by her constituent, and LiMMA's Vice Chairman Gerry Borge, whose father Private (Drummer) John Borg and uncle Private Duncan Edwin Cameron both survived the sinking and were rescued by the villagers of Qingbang Island.
As well MPs, 15 relatives of those, who were prisoners on the ship also attended, along with Major (Retired) Brian Finch, David Jack, who represented the Royal Scots Association and the film's producer and director, Fang Li, travelled from China to be present at this special event. One MP, Sarah Champion of Rotherham, made it known that her grandfather, Warrant Officer Arthur Leonard Biggs, was one of the men who perished on the ship.
Prior to the screening, everyone gathered for a photo in front of the Memorial Window in Westminster Palace. Marking this as a significant historical event for all those involved with the Lisbon Maru.
The day clearly left lasting impressions on a number of MPs and their assistants, having received contact from several of them after the event. Indicating that the main objectives in helping to raise the profile of the Lisbon Maru and keeping the memory alive of both those who lost their lives and those who survived the sinking, but endured years of captivity, had certainly been achieved.
The hope now is that other smaller and similar events can take place throughout the country, so please contact LiMMA if we can help in anyway to support.
Listen to Kirsteen Sullivan the MP, who hosted the screening and whose grandfather was involved in the building of the Burma Railway, talking about the event by selecting the link below:
Our Visit to Zhoushan 2026
Rob Golding LiMMA Steering Group
20 members of LiMMA travelled to Zhoushan as guests of the province to visit the memorial to the Chinese fishermen involved in the rescue of Lisbon Maru survivors 84 years ago and to remember the Lisbon Maru POWs who were lost and those, who were rescued and survived.
In what was a moving ceremony at Dongji on a sunny but blustery day, speeches were given by local officials and LiMMA members, followed by the laying of wreaths and fresh flowers at the memorial. It was a poignant event for our group representing their families and indeed all of the descendants of POWs. We were joined by the descendants of some of the Chinese fishermen involved in the rescue and had opportunities to meet them both at the memorial and subsequently. The day also included a tree planting ceremony near the memorial in memory of the Lisbon Maru rescue.
Other highlights of our trip include a visit to the Zhoushan Exhibition Hall with many archival records of the Lisbon Maru Rescue Incident, including a Wall of Honour with the names of the POWs and Chinese rescuers, the Lisbon Maru Rescue Incident Memorial Hall at Dongji, Shenjiamen Fishing Port, Guanyin and Ningbo.
Overall a very emotional visit by LiMMA members to Dongji and a wonderful opportunity to remember our families and the Chinese fishermen involved in rescuing so many. As with the two previous visits to Zhoushan, the hospitality shown us was outstanding, and we were touched at how the Lisbon Maru incident is recognised here after all these years.
For more details and photos, please see the Zhoushan 2026 page.
Richard Graham, author of At the Emperor's Pleasure, has also written about his reflections on the visit. Please see An Author Visits and Reflects.
Your LiMMA Steering Group
Who's who?
The LiMMA Steering Group are pictured from left to right: Paul Williams (Education Secretary), Leigh Gray (Events Secretary), Mandy Stubbs (Membership Secretary), Gerry Borge (Vice Chairman), Ken Williams (Archivist), Anthony Jones (Chairman), Geoff Haviland (Group Advisor), Jean Clements (General Secretary), Rob Golding (Treasurer), Trish Wooding and Alan Tucker (IT Support).
Ken & Paul are the grandsons of Corporal Edwin Husband.
Leigh is the great niece of Private James Alfred Maynard.
Mandy is the granddaughter of Leading Stoker Arthur William Bright.
Gerry is the son of Private (Drummer) John Borg and nephew of Private Duncan Edwin Cameron.
Anthony is the grandson of Telegraphist Thomas Theodore Jones.
Geoff is the son of Telegraphist Charles Stephen Haviland.
Jean is the niece of Private Kenneth Townson Hodkinson.
Rob is the son of Lance Corporal William Golding.
Trish is the great niece of Private Duncan Edwin Cameron.
The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
Available online
The documentary "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru" is available for streaming in the UK and Ireland. To stream the film, please follow this link:
https://www.odysseychinesecinema.uk/search.html?q=sinking+of+the+lisbon+maru
Community Cinema Showings
The aim continues to get the film shown in community cinema across the United Kingdom and Ireland to raise funds for the LiMMA. To find a cinema near you please visit the Cinema for All website using this link:
https://mycommunitycinema.org.uk/find-a-cinema/.
Enter your postcode and find your nearest community cinema. You can then propose the film and if they are interested, you can share with them a link to the booking form:
https://us3.list-manage.com/survey?u=33fa1e2bfd775a341fcd076ab&id=b2c8c5500e.
A Scottish Memorial
LiMMA Steering Group member Gerry Borge met Kirsteen Sullivan MP for Bathgate and Linlithgow at her constituency office in August after which Kirsteen said: "In May, I spoke in Parliament about the remarkable story of Gerry's father's and uncle's service with the Royal Scots in the Far East during the Second World War. It was a privilege to meet Gerry in my constituency office this week. When Parliament returns on 1st September, I will be leading an adjournment debate on the Lisbon Maru, a story too often forgotten, yet one that deeply affected many Scottish families and deserves to be remembered."
The adjournment debate on 1st September 2025 can be seen on parliamentlive.tv, during which Kirsteen asks for support for a memorial in Scotland.
This is an on-going action for LiMMA and a particularly important one for those families who reside in Scotland and/or whose relatives on the Lisbon Maru came from Scotland. Not forgetting how many of the men on board served with the Royal Scots.
Researching Your Relative
Tips on finding out more
As the LiMMA community and general interest in our forbearers grows, many of you are most likely saying that I want to know more, and rightly so! The information that LiMMA currently holds relating to the POWs and the units and locations which they were associated with is increasing daily resulting in an immediate requirement to set up a central data store. This will eventually provide a valuable resource for relatives to research documents relating to the event.
In the meantime members of the LiMMA Steering Group have provided some useful information for those wishing to find out more about their relatives.
Spring Festival Celebration
At the Chinese Embassy
Saturday 21st February 2026 saw LiMMA at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, as guests of H.E. Ambassador Zheng Zeguang and Madam Hua Mei.
Following speeches from the Ambassador, Chairman of LiMMA Anthony Jones, Major (Retired) Brian Finch and the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding (SACU), artists from Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces took to the stage. There were dancers and drummers, solo performances on traditional instruments, the suona and pipa, a ribbon dance, face changing and the Embassy choir. All very entertaining and fun and then we enjoyed some delicious Chinese food too.
In the spirit of the day, LiMMA Steering Group members, Jean Clements and Mandy Stubbs had made some beautiful horses, which they shared with our hosts. Stories, magazine articles, letters and photographs were also shared. Everyone concerned that if they had or knew something, it might be useful to other families.
A wonderful day spent with old friends and making new ones. A great opportunity to see and talk to likeminded people, ensuring that all of our loved ones, who were on the Lisbon Maru are always remembered, honoured and never forgotten.
Throughout the day, people were commenting on how much effort we, as the Lisbon Maru Family, are putting into ensuring that no man is left behind and every single one of them is at the forefront of what we do to remember them. Everyone spoke about the men with great sadness, but they also said they really value finding other relatives. The happiness within the group was evident, but so too was their determination that not one man, whether they survived the sinking, or not, will be forgotten.
Thank you to all LiMMA members, relatives and friends.
VJ80 Commemorations
Remembrance, Repatriation and more
Throughout August 2025 LiMMA members took part in VJ Day 80th Anniversary Commemorations around the UK. For more details of these events, please see the VJ Day Commemoration page.
In November 2025 members of the Lisbon Memorial Association (LiMMA) took part in the march to the Cenotaph for the first time. For more details and photos of LiMMA's attendance at Remembrance Sunday, please see the Remembrance Sunday page.
LiMMA Steering Group member Rob Golding, who is also the Area Co-ordinator for the Hampshire Children of Far East Prisoners of War group (COFEPOW) attended the Southampton repatriation commemorations in November 2025. Read his full account of the day's events on the Repatriation Commemorations page.