Significant Events

The Montevideo Maru – 1945

The Montevideo Maru: 10,000 tonne Japanese merchant ship

Numbers of Australians POWs on board: 1,053

Number of Civilians on board: 208

Date of sinking: 1st July 1942

Prime Minister: John Curtin (Labor) 1941-1945

Time of construction: June 1942-November 1943

Construction: Length of line: 420 kms

Earthworks: 4,000,000 cubic metres

Rock shifted: 3,000,000 cubic metres

Bridgework: 14kms erected

Numbers of Australians POWs involved in the construction of the Railway: 9,500

Numbers of Australian troops who died during construction: 2,815

Prime Minister: John Curtin (Labor) 1941-1945

Length of Captivity: 1942-1945

Location of prison: Selerang Barracks, Changi peninsula, Singapore

Number of Australians taken prisoner: 13,000

Prime Minister: John Curtin (Labor) 1941-1945