In the center oft he beachside park. Monument

A metal sheet with an inscribed plaque attached to the front; about 8 feet tall.

     The Shinyo Maru sailed on September 7, 1944 carrying 750 POWs destined for Manila from the POW camp in Davao. For protection, the ship hugged the coast of the island for most of the day. The submarine USS Paddle (SS- 263) lay in wait and late that same afternoon it torpedoed both the Shinyo Maru and another large freighter. It was chaos aboard the hellship as the enemy tore off the hatch covers and threw grenades into the holds and machine-gunned the POWs as they tried to make their way to safety. They also machine-gunned POWs on deck and in the water. Many men died in the explosion from the torpedoes or drowned when the ship went down and of those who did survive many were shot in the water  – it was a terrible massacre. Only 82 men made it to shore alive and were rescued by Philippine guerillas. Later they were evacuated by a US submarine, USS Narwhal  (SS-167). Colonel Wendell Fertig led the local Philippine Guerrillas who assisted in saving the men.

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     On September 7th 2014  - 70 years to the day after the sinking, a memorial was unveiled and dedicated in Sindangan, Zamboanga Philippines in memory of the men of the Shinyo Maru and the Philippine people who rescued and hid the survivors until they could be evacuated.

Source: The Taiwan Hellship Memorial Website 

For more on Hellships see this website, site Yokohama for more on the many of those who survived the “Enoura Maru” Hellship.  See sites Subic Bay in the Philippines and Kaohsiung- Chijin Island in Taiwan for more other Hellship Memorials.

70^th

Shinyo Maru

COMMEMORATION 1944-2014

THIS COMMEMORATION MARKER

IS DEDICATED IN HONOR OF THE

RESIDENTS IN THE LILOY-SINDANGAN AREA

OF MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES

WHOSE DEMONSTRATION OF

FILIPINO HOSPITALITY AND CARE SAVED 82

PRISONERS OF WAR, ALL CITIZENS OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FROM RECAPTURE BY

JAPANESE AUTHORITIES SEVENTY YEARS AGO

WHEN THE SS SHINYO MARU

SUNK ON 7 SEPTEMBER 1944

INSTALLED AND DEDICATED

THIS 7^TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER 2014

IN SINDANGAN, ZAMBOANGA

DEL NORTE, PHILIPPINES