Memorial commemorating heroic WWII rescue unveiled in China

A descendant of one of the Chinese fishermen who saved hundreds of British prisoners of war during the Lisbon Maru incident 82 years ago touches the memorial dedicated to the heroic fishermen on the site of the rescue in east China's Zhejiang Province, Dec. 5, 2024. (Photo by Yao Kaile/Xinhua)

HANGZHOU, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A memorial dedicated to Chinese fishermen who saved hundreds of British prisoners of war (POWs) during the Lisbon Maru incident 82 years ago was unveiled on the site of the rescue in east China's Zhejiang Province on Thursday.

Designed and made by the China Academy of Art, the memorial captures the historic moment when local fishermen in Zhoushan put their lives on the line to carry out the rescue.

The memorial measures 4.5 meters in length, 1.8 meters in height and 1.7 meters in width. It weighs approximately 1 tonne and is made of naval bronze.

On its left side, inscriptions in both Chinese and English read, "Memorial for Dongji Fishermen's Rescue of British Prisoners of War," and, "Love knows no boundary; Friendship transcends time," alongside a detailed account of the event.

In October 1942, the Lisbon Maru, a cargo vessel requisitioned by the Japanese army to transport more than 1,800 British POWs from Hong Kong to Japan, was hit by a U.S. submarine off the Zhoushan Islands in China's Zhejiang Province. Local fishermen risked their own lives to rescue over 380 of these POWs.

"I hope more people learn about this chapter of history and remember those who made sacrifices for peace," said Wu Buwei, a descendant of one of the heroic fishermen.