At the dinner with Xu Renbiao, Mayor of Zhoushan Rob Golding, as a member of the LiMMA Committee, stepped up to say a few words.

Mayor, dignitaries and guests

On behalf of the Lisbon Maru Memorial Association Committee, LiMMA members and all of us here, I would if I may, just like to say a few words.

This is not a speech, I don't think a speech is appropriate for this moment, so I have no notes. But this is about emotions and that I would like to share with you.

We were told from those, who have visited before, that this visit to Zhoushan and Dongji would be very emotional for us all as the relatives of the POWs. So we thought we were prepared.

But nothing could prepare us for the wave of emotions we felt on our visit here.

Deep grief, deep sadness, tears and remembrance for our relatives and those POWs who died and survived in the awful tragedy of the Lisbon Maru sinking. More than we could ever have anticipated.

And the overwhelming respect, honour and deep, deep gratitude to those brave Chinese fisherman, who risked all to save the POWs and many of the relatives of people in our group. Who saved more than they could have imagined with the descendants, who would not be here without them. You are all part of our Lisbon Maru family, for that is what we now are - family.

But there is more. There are our Chinese hosts, who held our hands, guided us, protected us, comforted us and looked after us on our visit here. You too are part of our Lisbon Maru family.

I did think long and hard how to express our feelings to our Chinese hosts, but my language somehow did not have the words. So I thought of our POWs and the fisherman and what they would think and say. And it is simply two words expressed with heartfelt meaning.

Thank You