Royal Navy Fall of Hong Kong and subsequent survivor of the sinking of the Lisbon Maru Long Service and Good Conduct group awarded to Able Seaman A.P. Allstone, Royal Navy who was awarded his Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 19th April 1938 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Vernon. He would subsequently serve aboard H.M.S. Redstart and was present in Hong Kong on 19th December 1941 when it was scuttled to avoid capture by the Japanese. Initially believed killed, he would later be confirmed a Prisoner of War, and would be aboard the Japanese armed troopship Lisbon Maru when she was sunk by the American submarine USS Grouper. Being one of those who survived the sinking, he would be taken to Osaka where he would be interned for the rest of the war. Surviving the war he would be released from service on 19th June 1946.
Group of 4: 1939-1945 Star; Pacific Star; War Medal; Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVIR, 2nd type obverse (J.97858 A.P. ALLSTONE. A.B. H.M.S. VERNON) Loose-mounted for wear.
Condition: loose-mounted for wear, Nearly Extremely Fine
Albert Percy Allstone was born in Islington, Middlesex. Initially serving as a Boy 2nd Class aboard H.M.S. Ganges from 6th July 1920, he formally joined up for 12 years service on 12th May 1923 whilst serving as an Ordinary Seaman aboard H.M.S. Barham, and would be promoted to Able Seaman on 1st April 1924 whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Windsor. His Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 19th April 1938 whilst serving H.M.S. Vernon.
From 27th October 1938 he would serve aboard H.M.S. Redstart, this ship was scuttled on 19th December 1941 to avoid it being captured by the invading Japanese forces who were overrunning Hong Kong.
Initially reported killed, Allstone would later be confirmed to be a prisoner of war. Subsequently transported to Japan aboard the Japanese armed troopship Lisbon Maru, he would be aboard when the ship was sunk by the American submarine USS Grouper. Many of the prisoners went down with the ship but Allstone survived the sinking and was taken to Osaka in Japan where he would be interned in the Prisoner of War camp there for the remainder of the war.
On her final voyage, the Lisbon Maru was carrying 700 Japanese Army personnel and 1,816 British prisoners of war captured after the Battle of Hong Kong in December 1941. The POWs were held in "appalling conditions ... those at the bottom of the hold ... showered by the diarrhoea of sick soldiers above".
On 1 October 1942, the ship was torpedoed by the submarine USS Grouper while travelling through the South China Sea. The Japanese troops were evacuated from the ship but the POWs were not; instead the hatches were battened down above them and they were left on the listing ship. After 24 hours, as it became apparent that the ship was sinking, the POWs were able to break through the hatch covers. Some were able to escape from the ship before it sank. The ladder from one of the holds to the deck failed, and the Royal Artillery POWs in the hold could not escape; they were last heard singing "It's a Long Way to Tipperary". Survivors reported that Japanese guards first fired on the POWs who reached the deck; and that other Japanese ships used machine guns to fire at POWs who were in the water. Later, however, after some Chinese fishermen started rescuing survivors, the Japanese ships also rescued survivors.
The British government insisted that over 800 of these men died either directly as a result of the sinking, or from being shot or otherwise killed by the Japanese while swimming away from the wreck. The ship was not marked to alert Allied forces to the nature of its passengers. The Japanese government insisted that British prisoners were in fact not deliberately killed by Japanese soldiers and criticised the British statement.
Following repatriation Allstone would be released from service on 19th June 1946. The second type Naval Long Service Medal is most likely a result of his original medal being lost in the fall of Hong Kong.
