Dennis Morley, Royal Scots bandsman who survived a Japanese massacre – obituary
Captured in Hong Kong, he was on the Lisbon Maru when it was torpedoed, leading to the enemy firing on the prisoners, killing 828
Dennis Morley
Dennis Morley, who has died aged 101, served with the Royal Scots (the Royal Regiment) in the defence of Hong Kong, and subsequently survived the sinking of the Japanese freighter, Lisbon Maru, when it was torpedoed by an American submarine; he was believed to have been the last survivor of the sinking.
Japan attacked Hong Kong early on December 8 1941 and the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Scots, flanked by two Indian battalions, were deployed in a defensive line across the New Territories. Morley, a bandsman in HQ Company, was a stretcher bearer and was in the thick of the fighting. His battalion, however, was greatly outnumbered and took heavy losses.
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, with Lieutenant-Colonel George Dittmer at his side, watches 16 Platoon of D Company, 28th Maori Battalion, march past in England, 1940. The Maori Battalion, along with the rest of 2NZEF’s Second Echelon, had been en route to the Middle East in May 1940 when they were diverted to Britain. In July they were deployed to southern England to help defend against a possible German invasion. After six months in Britain the men of the Second Echelon sailed for their original destination, Egypt, where they arrived in early March 1941.
The Maori
By the time the Second World War ended in 1945, 28 (Maori) Battalion had become one of the most celebrated and decorated units in the New Zealand forces. The pinnacle of its achievement was the Victoria Cross won by Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu in 1943. Ultimately, nearly 16,000 Māori enlisted for service during the Second World War.
Sergeant Major Hector A Hernandez > 4th Marine Corps District > News Article Display marines.mil - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from marines.mil Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.