Prisoners of War Japan - warsailors.com

Merchant Mariners - Name of ship not known Location, where known, listed along with the date:
A
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Erling S. Aahjem Åheim	Chief Engineer	July 12-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Alfred Andreas Alden, Brooklyn	Captain	March 2-1942 Java?	died Febr. 7-1945	Java
Alf Henry Andersen, Nøtterøy	Donkeyman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of the war	Peking
Harald Aksel Edvin Andersen Oslo	Stoker	Jan. 2-1942 Shanghai	died Jan. 9-1945	Enuora Maru
Harald Andersen Sem	Boatswain	May 6-1942 Philippines	died Febr*. 15-1944	Japan
In his "Nordmenn i fangenskap" ("Norwegians in imprisonment") Kristian Ottosen has the date of death as Dec. 15-1944. This would indicate that he might have been aboard Oryoku Maru* when she was bombed on that date, but there's only one Harald Andersen listed in the roster which I've linked to below. He's commemorated on a memorial near Vallø church in Norway, which says he died on Dec. 15-1944 under transport to Japan, after having been taken prisoner on the Philippines. (Scroll down on the site for a list of others who are commemorated on this memorial - the text is in Norwegian). Also, he's included in the casualty list for Ranja at the Memorial for Seamen in Stavern, which might indicate that he had previously served on this ship and paid off shortly before she was sunk in March-1942 in order to join another ship (the birthdate is the same as date given by Kristian Ottosen), or, it's just a simple mix up, because Ranja did have an able seaman by this name. "Nordmenn i fangenskap" says that Stoker Harald Aksel Edvin Andersen from Oslo (born in 1891) was transferred to Omori, Japan on the same day as he was arrested (Jan. 2-1942). If he died on Enuora Maru, he must have been sent to the Philippines at some point, though this would seem strange. Some of the survivors from Oryoku Maru had been moved to this ship at the end of Dec., but Enuora Maru was also bombed by American aircraft. Again, see link to roster below.
Egil Andreassen Fredrikstad	Seaman	May 6-1942 Philippines	died Dec. 15-1944	China Sea
"Nordmenn i fangenskap" says Egil Andreassen was moved from Cabanatuan (Philippines) to the Bilibid prison, date for transfer not given, but it was probably in Oct.-1944. Egil Andreassen and Harald Andersen are both on the A-list of the rosters for this ship (downloadable from this external page), but not Harald A. E. Andersen.
Kristian Andreassen Tvedestrand	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Villy Andreassen Asker	Seaman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	"
Birger Anfinsen Bergen	Seaman	Dec. 20-1943 Java	"	Java
Anton Eivind Arntsen	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Klaus K. Ask Vindafjord	Seaman	"	"	"
*Ragnvald Augustin Fredrikstad	Seaman	May 6-1942	end of the war	Japan
* I found Ragnvald Augustin on this master roster for Kyushu POW camps, saying he was at camp #17 Omuta. (The captain of Scotia is also included on this roster, along with other Norwegians). See also some more details about him under William Strachan
B
Thor Backer Oslo	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	died Febr. 2-1942	Shanghai
Kjell Bakken Flekkefjord	1st Mate	Dec. 20-1943 Java	end of war	Singapore
Odd Rein Bøe Berents Bergen	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Chinwangtao	"	China
It looks like his entire family was with him.
Oskar Leonard Berentsen Bergen	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Ola Bergren	"	"	"	"
Alf Ørnulf Bremer Bønsdalen Eidsvoll	2nd Mate	Dec. 9-1941 Shanghai	"	"
C
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Leif Johan Carlsen Oslo	Seaman	June 15-1943 Philippines	died Oct. 24-1944	China Sea
Kristen Christensen Nøtterøy	Captain	Dec. 7-1941 Thailand	Aug. 29-1942	Laurenço Marques
May have been exchanged with Japanese prisoners, along with several other Norwegians at that time, and repatriated. (Previous captain of D/S Randi?)
Christoffer Christoffersen Bergen	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	died Febr. 26-1943	Shanghai
D
Per Dybdal Trondheim	Seaman	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	end of the war	Hong Kong
E
Ola Ekeland Tromøy	Seaman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Harald Ekeland Bærum	2nd Mate	"	"	"
There's also a housewife, Claudia Ekeland, 30 years old, listed as arrested in Shanghai on the same date, she may have been the wife of Harald (age 34). (Ola Ekeland was 24).
Martinius Eliassen	Engineer	"	"	"
Sverre Elsæther Trondheim	Stoker	"	"	"
Rolf Engelsen	Captain	"	"	"
A housewife, Lida Engelsen is also listed as arrested in Shanghai on the same date, not sure if she was Rolf's wife (10 years younger).
Odd Engelstad	Mate	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
Roy Engelstad	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
A housewife, Lillemor Engelstad, about the same age, is listed as arrested in Shanghai on the same date.
F
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Sigvald Falnes Haugesund	Chief Engineer	Febr. 22-1942 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
Guri Hjeltnes, book 4 of "Handelsflåten i krig" gives the date Dec. 11-1941 for Sigvald Falnes (Hong Kong), and the release date Sept. 19-1945. "Sjøfolk i krig", Leif M. Bjørkelund (ref. My sources) gives his full name as Lars Sigvald and says he was the chief engineer on the Panamanian S/S Wawa having joined that ship on July 10-1941 (he had previously served on D/S Ada until June 21 that year). S/S Wawa was in Hong Kong when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Bjørkelund gives the date for his internment as Dec. 11-1941 until Sept. 19-1945, adding that he was in imprisonment with Hilmar Helgesen at some point (listed under H further down on this page). After his release he travelled from Hong Kong to Liverpool on S/S Empress of Australia on Oct. 27, arriving Norway on the Norwegian D/S Astrea in Nov. Related external link: The Great Ocean Liners has more on Empress of Australia on this page, which says her last wartime voyage (Hong Kong-Liverpool) took place in Sept.-1945, so the date Oct. 27 given above might be incorrect(?).
Halfdan Hansen Fjelli Farsund	1st Mate	March 3-1942 Sourabaya	"	Singapore
Hans Christian Foyn Nøtterøy	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Mathias Foyn Nøtterøy	Captain	"	died Apr. 12-1945	"
There are a number of Foyn children as well as a housewife arrested on the same date, so this appears to be an entire family. Mathias Foyn is listed as being born in 1861, perhaps the grandfather?
G
Ove T. Gulbransen Arendal	Engineer	"	end of war	"
Thoralf Gundersen	Captain	May 17-1942 Philippines	"	Philippines
H
Olaf Olson Hagan Amli	Steward	May 17-1942 Shoonan	died Oct. 24-1944	"
Ernst Leonard Halleland Etne	Chief Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Christ Halvorsen Sandefjord	Oiler	Dec. 8-1941 Potong	"	China
Erling Hansen Oslo	Seaman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	died Jan. 30-1943	Shanghai
Otto Hansen Jevnaker	Ordinary Seaman	"	end of war	"
Gustav Hedlund Oppegård	3rd Mate	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	died March 20-1945	Hong Kong
Johan Heimdal Karmøy	Seaman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
No ship is mentioned in connection with Johan Heimdal, but I found him in the book "Sjøfolk i krig" ("Seamen at war") by Leif M. Bjørkelund which is largely based on interviews with seamen 50 years after the war. It states he had signed on the Panamanian S/S Morazan (Wallem & Co., Panama) at the beginning of June-1941 with the agreement that the crew was to take the ship to Singapore or Hong Kong. They would then get a free trip back to the U.S. as well as 2 months extra salary. But when they approached the coast of China they were taken as prize by a Japanese destroyer and taken to Woosung near the inlet to Shanghai. They were interned in Shanghai (date not mentioned), though not in a camp but in some sort of an apartment and were allowed to come and go fairly freely in that particular area as long as they had a valid pass. The Chinese who lived in the same street were very friendly, and shared their food with them when they were hungry. Johan and some others escaped at one point, but were caught and returned to internment, after a few days in jail without food and water.
Hilmar Helgesen Karmøy	Mate	Febr. 22-1942 Hong Kong	"	China
Finn Hilsen Oslo	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Alf Holthe	"	"	"	"
There's also a housewife, Solveig Holthe listed for the same date, possibly his wife.
I
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Thorleif Idsal Stavanger	Captain	Dec. 20-1943 Java	"	Singapore
Sofus E. Isaksen	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
J
Olaf Jacobsen	"	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
John Henry Jahnsen Shanghai	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	died Febr. 3-1944	Shanghai
His wife, Elisabeth Jahnsen was arresten in Shanghai on the same date (from Leningrad, 8 years younger). She survived the imprisonment. My Norwegian Guestbook has a message from their nephew.
Hilmar A. Jakobsen	Seaman	Apr. 3-1942 Tannenfels	June 19-1943	Oslo
This might be an error(?) The dates are the same as those given for Aust's Thallak Solheim. There's already a Hilmar Jakobsen listed under Aust, but he has a different birthdate.
John A. Jensen Arendal	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Hermann Johannessen Kristiansand	Seaman	Dec. 8-1941	died Sept. 1-1942	Japan
Johannes Martinius Johannessen Tønsberg	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Tsingtao	died Oct. 15-1944	Weihsien
There's a housewife, Luba Johannesen (from China) listed as arrested in Tsingtao, she might have been the captain's wife. She survived the imprisonment at Weihsien.
Martin Kristian Johansen Borre	Chief Engineer	March 1-1942 Shanghai	died Aug. 24-1943	Shanghai
Aksel Johnsen Gildeskål	Boatswain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	"
Audun Juel* Kvinnherad	Steward	May 6-1942	Oct. 10-1944	Japanese camp
Audun Juel is commemorated at the Stavern Memorial (external link), and is said to have died in an accident in Shoonan on Oct. 24-1944. His ship is given as Brimanger. Suspecting the reference to Brimanger in connection with his death must be an error (since Brimanger was nowhere near Shoonan on that date, as can be seen when following the link to my page about this ship), I looked him up in "Våre falne", a series of 4 books naming Norwegian WW II casualties, and found that he was taken prisoner by the Japanese and interned in Manila. He was freed by the Americans on Oct. 10-1944 and taken aboard a ship with almost 2000 other former prisoners who had volunteered for the American Army, but the ship was torpedoed en route to Shanghai on Oct. 24 and all but 9 of them perished. Although the details re. volunteering for the American Army don't quite fit (and may be an error), I suspected the ship in question could have been the Japanese Arisan Maru, which left Manila on Oct. 10-1944 with 1800 on board, torpedoed by an American submarine on Oct. 24, with only 9 survivors. Further investigations reveal that Audun Juel is indeed listed on the roster for this ship on this page (though his name is misspelt). It's possible he had served on Brimanger at some point. Here's the main page for the roster; several other Norwegians are also named. (All these links are external).
Jakob Karl August Jølle Farsund	1st Engineer	Febr. 15-1942 Singapore	died Nov. 6-1943	Singapore
It looks like his entire family was taken; his wife and his child a little over a year old, and a child born in imprisonment on Sept. 30-1942. Children and mother appear to have survived the war - see my page Life in Imprisonment - Page 2
Birger Jørgensen	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
There's a housewife, Lally Jørgensen (10 years younger than the captain) and a child Rolf A. Jørgensen, 6 years old listed as arrested in Shanghai on the same date - don't know if there's a connection between the 3.
K
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Olav Meidel Klette Chingwangtao	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Chingwangtao	end of war	China
Kristian Knudsen	Seaman	May 17-1942 Manila	"	Philippines
Ravnaas?
Olaf Blikom Knudsen	2nd Mate	"	"	"
Knut Knutsen	Mate	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
There's also a housewife, Elisabeth Knutsen arrested in Shanghai on the same date, same age as Knut Knutsen.
Jacob Haugland Kristensen Farsund	1st Mate	"	"	"
Alv Kulstad	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	"
A housewife and 2 children Kulstad are listed as arrested on the same date. No birthdate is given for the captain, but the housewife was born in 1900. Here's a Guestbook message from one of the children mentioned here.
Erling Kverne	Engineer	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	end of war	Hong Kong
L
Johan Amandus Larsen Tromsø	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	died Oct. 14-1942	Shanghai
Ludvik Edvard Larsen Kristiansund	Able Seaman	Jan. 2-1942 Manila	died June 2-1942	Philippines
Bjarne Petrus Leira Ålesund	Seaman	May 6-1942 Manila	died, date unknown	"
Trygve Lindeberg Lillesand	Ordinary Seaman	Dec. 8-1942 Kobe	Aug. 29-1942	Laurenço Marques
This young man had previously worked on M/S Eli, but he payed off in Kobe, Japan in Nov.-1939 when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and was admitted to a hospital. He was being treated at a sanatorium in Nagano when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The following year he was told he had a chance of getting out of Japan on the Gripsholm, a Swedish passenger liner which had been chartered by the United States International Red Cross to be used as an exchange ship. (Gripsholm made her first repatriation voyage in May-1942 [from New York to Laurenço Marques] carrying Japanese diplomats one way and American internees back). When he missed that opportunity he was instead placed on the Japanese passenger ship Tatuta Maru, which transported several Norwegian diplomats (and others) to the neutral Laurenço Marques, also for exchange purposes, arriving Aug. 28-1942. From there he continued to Johannesburg. Related external links: Gripsholm (has more about the exchange and repatriation program) Gripsholm (several pictures). The website The great Ocean Liners also has the history of Gripsholm on this page.
M
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Peder Nikolai Marcussen Risør	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Hermant Randulf Mathisen Harstad	Seaman	Febr. 17-1942 Singapore	"	Singapore
Harold Moss	Engineer	May 6-1942 Manila	"	Manila
N
Nils M. Nesbø Ålesund	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
There's a housewife, Elisabeth Nesbø listed as arrested in Shanghai on the same date, about the same age as the captain.
Peder Nicolaisen Skien	Engineer	"	"	"
Gustav Nicolai Nielssen Porsgrunn	Chief Engineer?	"	died Nov. 8-1943	"
This man was born 1875, so was probably retired, and living in Shanghai(?)
Andreas Emil Nilsen	Ship's Officer	May 17-1945 Manila	end of war	Philippines
Finn Nilsen Tvedestrand	Able Seaman	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Einar Nygaard Tønsberg	2nd Mate	"	"	"
O
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Anders Olsen	Engineer	"	"	"
Andreas Olsen Hafslo	"	"	"	"
Anders K. Olsen, Haugesund	Mate	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
Fredrik Ola Olsen Yokohama	Captain	Apr. 1-1942 Yokohama	"	Yokohama
Probably retired (born 1870).
Ingvald Martin Olsen	Engineer	May 17-1942 Philippines	"	Philippines?
Jacob E. Olsen	"	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Johan Arnt Olsen Haugesund	Chief Engineer	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
Olaf Olsen Oslo*	Steward	Jan. 1-1942	died Oct. 24-1944	China Sea
Please see my page about Vardefjell* (scroll down on the page to the text below the crew list).
P
Erling Magnus Paulsen Steigen	Boatswain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Ivar Pedersen	2nd Mate	"	"	"
Ivar Persen Borre	1st Mate	Dec. 7-1941	"	"
Otto Normann Pettersen Vågan	Seaman	May 6-1942 Philippines	died Dec. 15-1944	China Sea
Otto Normann Pettersen is listed at the Stavern Memorial for Seamen as a casualty of William Strachan. As far as I know nothing happened to this ship that could have caused his death (or that of his shipmate John Herman Berg who is also listed at the memorial) but the date of death Dec. 15-1944 coincides with the date given for Harald Andersen further up on this page. Andersen is listed on the roster for Oryoku Maru, which was bombed on this date - see the link to this roster under Egil Andreassen. In "Nordmenn i fangenskap" Kristian Ottosen gives the same information for Otto Pettersen as he does for Egil Andreassen: Arrested May 6-1942, transferred Cabanatuan, transferred Bilibid, died Dec. 15-1944.
R
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Arthur J. Rasmussen	1st Mate	Dec. 7-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Johannes Endresen Rossebø Haugesund	Seaman	Bandung - no date	died 1942	Java
Sigvald Rønne	3rd Mate	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
S
Just Sandberg Oslo	Engineer	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
There are several Sandberg children and a housewife listed as arrested in Hong Kong on the same date, but not sure if they are the family of the above engineer (he was 22 years older than the housewife, perhaps her father?).
Haakon Sareussen Ibestad	Captain	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	died Dec. 21-1944	Hong Kong
Probably retired and living in Hong Kong(?), born 1876.
? Schwartz	Chief Engineer	March 7-1942	end of war	Singapore
I'm wondering if the man listed as Schwartz could be Madrono's Czechoslovakian Bedrich Scharf? Ref. the text for Madrono on the page "Norwegian Victims of Thor".
Ferdinand Johan Semmelmann Oslo	Captain	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
See also this Guestbook message from his granddaughter.
*Johan Skulstad Haugesund	Seaman	May 6-1942 Philippines	"	Japan
* I found Johan Skulstad on this master roster for Kyushu POW camps, saying he was at #17 Omuta. Ref. William Strachan
Torvald Snemyr Kristiansand	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Frithjof Solhaug	"	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	"	Hong Kong
Guttorm Rudolf Stensen Frøya	"	Febr. 22-1942 Hong Kong	"	"
Gustav Abraham Svane Hong Kong	Captain	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	escaped March 28-1942	"
Worked for Wallem & Co. and lived in Hong Kong. Left Hong Kong on a ship to Macao along with 6 other Norwegians, then on to Kanton. Was smuggled through the Japanese lines to the free China, and managed to get out of China via Chung King.
Aksel Steen Svendsen	Seaman	May 6-1942 Philippines	died, unsure date	Philippines
Tormod Sæter	"	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	Shanghai
Harry Paul Sæter Giske	Able Seaman	Dec. 7-1941 Shanghai	"	"
T
Name	Title	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Ingebrigt A. M. Teigland Tysnes	Captain	Dec. 7-1941	Aug. 1-194?	Saigon
Not sure of the date of release. Kristian Ottosen has given Aug. 1-1941.
Rohder Thorbjørnsen	Captain	Dec. 25-1941 Hong Kong	end of war	Hong Kong
Fritz Eugen Thoresen Oslo	"	Dec. 9-1941 Amoy	died Aug. 15-1944	Shanghai
Olaf Torgersen	"	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	end of war	"
Otto Berg Torgersen Vestvågøy	"	"	died March 8-1942	"
Reidar Torgersen	Seaman	May 4-1942 Philippines	end of war	Singapore
W
Ole Wansvik	Engineer	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Shanghai
Johan Otto Wiig Trondheim	"	"	died Aug. 19-1942	"
Z
Ivar August Zinow Oslo	Captain	"	end of war	"
Norwegians who served on foreign ships:
Name	Title & Ship	Prisoner from	Until	Location when freed
Knut Bjørn Einarsen Tvedestrand	Captain S/S Munlock	Dec. 8-1941	end of the war	Yokohama
Served on the English Munlock (scuttled at Hong Kong). Arrested and taken to a jail in Yokohama on Dec. 8-1941. Transferred on Dec. 29 to Sasaji outside Yokohama, imprisoned until the end of the war. Sent by air to the U.S.A. where he spent 6 months in hospital before being sent to Norway. (Munlock was raised and repaired by the Japanese, renamed Rizan Maru, torpedoed and sunk by the U.S. submarine Searaven on Sept. 21-1944 off the east coast of Sakhalin Island).
Albert Gerhard Heitmann Brooklyn, U.S.A.	Stoker Virginia	Dec. 8-1941	died Aug. 26-1942	Shanghai
Ole Johannessen Tønsberg	Captain S/S Anarlock	Dec. 8-1941	end of the war	Sasaji
Served on the English ship S/S Anarlock. Arrested and taken to a jail in Yokohama on Dec. 8-1941. Transferred on Dec. 13 to Sasaji outside Yokohama, imprisoned until the end of the war, most of the time at Kamyoka prison, Yokohama. Freed by the Americans in Sept.-1945 and sent by air to the U.S.A. where he spent 6 months in hospital before being sent to Norway.
Carl Ferdinand Josefsen Shanghai	Captain S/S Federlock	Dec. 8-1941	end of the war	Sasaji
Had his home in Shanghai, served on board the English S/S Federlock. Arrested in Hokkaido on Dec. 8-1941, transferred on Jan. 26-1942 to Sasaji outside Yokohama, imprisoned until the end of the war. Sent by air to the U.S.A. where he spent 6 months in hospital before being sent to Norway. According to Charles Hocking (see My Sources) Federlock, built 1918, 6607 gt, was seized by the Japanese at Shanghai in Dec.-1941, renamed Fukuzan (Hukuzan) Maru, sunk by unknown causes on Aug. 4-1942, off Tamagawa, Honshu Island. Captain Josefsen died on Apr. 6-1946 - see the Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website.
Bernt Anker Olsen Sarpsborg	2nd Mate S/S Kiangsu	Dec. 8-1941 Shanghai	"	Japan
B. A. Olsen himself says they were in Hong Kong, attempted to leave for Shanghai during the night (Dec. 8) with several British civilians (English personnel from Taico Shipyard and their families) but were stopped by a Japanese warship and ordered to follow. Taken to Amyo Island on Dec. 16 and interned at Otte Memorial Hospital, Kulangsu (Catholic) along with crews from several other British ships, as well as crew from the Norwegian Dukat, where they stayed for almost 2 years. Transported to Shanghai in Sept.-1943, where the women were separated from the men and placed in a different camp, and civilian men were separated from the seamen, who were placed in a military camp outside Shanghai, where they stayed close to 2 years. Transported by train on May 9 (1944 or 1945?) to a camp in Peking, then to North Korea in June (arriving June 23), before being taken by ship to Hiroshima, on to Yokohama by train on June 30, arriving July 2. Moved from one camp to another until July 25, then came to Tokyo Camp No. 2 in the summer of 1945 until Aug. 28 - transferred to the American hospital ship Benevolence for medical treatment, then distributed to various American vessels. Taken to Okinawa on Sept. 3 by military aircraft, then by plane to Manila and boarded S/S Langfitt on Sept. 15 for Seattle (more details under Life in Imprisonment). The other Norwegians were eventually sent home while B. A. Olsen became a U.S. citizen. NOTE: In my Guestbook there's a message saying the following: You question in your info if he (they) left Shangahi May of 1944 or 1945. The Shangahi camp at Woosung held about 1500 prisoners, military and civilian. Dec 42 Woosung was closed and all POWs moved to nearby Kiangwan. May of 1945 Kiangwan was closed down and almost all POWs taken by train to Fengtai, near Peking. A month later they were moved to Pusan in Korea, then sent across to Japan. The poster of this message runs the website North China Mariners
Oskar Eugen Simensen Halden	Able Seaman Mascot	Dec. 8-1941	died May 10-1945	Shanghai
This man appears to be listed twice, the second time as Seaman Oscar Simonsen (same birthdate), arrested in Shanghai on Apr. 2-1942, released in Shanghai at the end of the war(?).
Anton Richard Smith Porsgrunn	Captain S/S Viterlock	see note below	end of war?	"?
Married to a Russian lady. Served on the English S/S Viterlock and was in the west of Japan when the war started. Went to Shanghai and according to a report from the Norwegian consul in Kobe he evacuated aboard Kamakura Maru; the plan was possibly to go to England with S/S Narkunda. Apparently his wife stayed in Shanghai. There's conflicting information here, Captain Smith may have been arrested in Shanghai on Dec. 8-1941 and stayed in imprisonment until the end of the war. Anarlock, Federlock, Munlock, Viterlock and Deslock were seized by the Japanese, as was the English S/S St. Quentin which also had a Norwegian captain. His name was Johan Sture, who with his wife evacuated from Shanghai on Kamakura Maru, and it's possible they continued to England on S/S Narkunda.
Andreas Hagerup Steen Bergen	Captain S/S Deslock	Dec. 8-1941	died March 2-1945	Sasaji
Served on the English S/S Deslock. Arrested and taken to a jail in Yokohama on Dec. 8-1941. Transferred on Dec. 29 to Sasaji outside Yokohama. Deslock was renamed Uzan Maru by the Japanese, torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine Trout off Tokushima, Japan on May 2-1942. Captain Hagerup Steen is commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 35, and also at the Stavern Memorial in Norway.
NOTE (Swedish ships): I've also come across reference to some Norwegians who were on board the Swedish ships Trolleholm (captured March 25-1941) and Sir Ernst Cassel when those ships were captured and sunk by Thor. The crews spent some time on the raider, and were later sent to the German camp Stalag XB. The Swedes were sent home after 3 months, but the following Norwegians stayed: 2nd Mate H. Hansen, Larvik -3rd Mate A. Andreassen, Fredrikstad - Stoker O. Amundsen, Bergen - Ordinary Seaman K. Olsen, Tønsberg -Stoker A. Kleivek, Kirkenes, - Stoker H. Karlsen, Jeløy and Oiler H. Paulsen, West Finnmark. Norwegian men on Trolleholm: Henry Mørch-Jacobsen, Kristiansand, Johan Ystebø, Lindås - Knut Winter Dahl, Horten and Rudolf Glad Jørgensen, Arendal (see also Nueva Andalucia). Taken on board Thor, later transferred to a tanker and taken to La Pallice, France, then to a place outside Bordeaux, before being moved to a camp near Bremen, possibly the same as above? All the Norwegians were sent home later on a German troop transport, via Sweden.
Also interned were:
Einar Krogseth Shanghai	Captain Ohio	Dec. 12-1942	died May 8-1943	Shanghai
Fredrik A. Grunde Simonsen Grimstad	cook Ohio	Nov. 19-1941	end of the war	Java
Captain Krogseth's wife and young son were also interned in Shanghai. I have received an E-mail from his granddaughter, saying the family had lived in China for many years, and their son (her father) was born there. His granddaughter knows very little about him, and would appreciate more details, so if anyone can provide more information, please contact me via the e-mail address provided at the bottom of this page and I will pass it on to her. I'm really not sure about the ship here. There's an Ohio on this website (under Panamanian flag), but I've been told by Gordon Thompson who served on her that she had a different captain all through the war years, namely Captain Beckman. In fact, he believes that it was Captain Beckman who took her out of the shipyard in Hamburg where she was built and launched in 1939 as Le Harvre (follow the link to Ohio for details on this ship). Gordon says that when he joined her in Bombay, India, she had been shuttling between Surabaya, Batavia, Kalamantan, in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and he remembers there was a lot of crew who paid off in those ports just before the Japanese invaded, and many were interned. He has also told me that he has received an E-mail from a Norwegian man whose uncle was carpenter on the Ohio. He was interned in Indonesia, repatriated from Colombo, Ceylon on the S/S Dorchester to the UK. It's possible Captain Krogseth had served on Ohio at one time or another, or the ship's name may simply be an error(?). Related external links: Merchant Marine POW's of WW II Many Norwegians are listed. (From U.S. Merchant Marine WW II). Merchant Mariners killed on U.S. Ships Alphabetical list of sailors (many Norwegian) who died on U.S ships. This one is linked to the letter A, scroll down to get to the alphabet. (From same website as above). Panamanian and Honduran Ships This page contains a summary and account of 67 Panamanian and Honduran flag merchant ships lost or damaged during World War II, and lists the names of a number of Norwegian seamen who were on board these ships (it's a section of the U.S. Armed Guard website).

Main source used: "Ingen Nåde - Historien om Nordmenn i japansk fangenskap", Kristian Ottosen (1996) and several misc. others for cross checking info.

Back to Index of Names - Page 1
Back to Page 2 - Prisoners according to name of ship.