What Is the Global Hellships Casualty Roster?
The Global Hellships Casualty Roster is a historical database of Allied prisoners of war who were transported aboard Japanese Hellships during World War II. It allows researchers, families, and historians to search records, identify victims, and preserve the memory of those lost at sea. This Hellships casualty roster is one of the most comprehensive collections of WWII prisoner of war records related to Japanese transport ships.
How to Search the Global Hellships Casualty Roster
1. Use the search bar
Type a name, ship name, unit, or keyword into the search box above the table. The list will filter automatically as you type — you don't need to press Enter.
2. Browse the full list
If you don't have a specific name in mind, scroll through the table directly. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the embedded roster to see additional columns (ship, date of death, unit, source, etc.).
3. Sort the data
Click any column header (e.g., Name, Ship, Rank, Unit) to sort the roster alphabetically or numerically by that field. Click again to reverse the order.
4. Filter for specific details
Look for a "Filter" option in the roster toolbar to narrow results — for example, showing only casualties from a specific ship or surrender location (Bataan, Corregidor, or Other).
5. Open a detailed profile
Click directly on a person's name to open their individual record card. This expanded view may include service number, unit affiliation, transport history, surrender location, and source citations.
6. Check the sources
Each entry is linked, where available, to its documentary source. Review the "Notes on Sources" section below the roster for background on how specific ship rosters (e.g., Shinyo Maru, Lisbon Maru) were compiled.
7. Note on completeness
This is a living research database (currently 8,370 records). Some entries are provisional or still being verified — dates, spellings, and unit details may be updated as new archival material is found.
8. Report a correction or contribute information
If you find an error, have documentation, or wish to add a photograph, memoir, or family account, go to https://www.hellshipsmemorial.org/research
Currently 8,370 records
Notes on Sources
Notes on the August 2026 Shinyo Maru roster
The roster is an updated version of that posted on the westpoint.org Japanese POW site. It lists all the Prisoners of War known to have been put aboard Shinyo Maru
All of the names of the men and dates of death remain as posted on the West Point site. New information has clarified spelling and unit affiliations. New material includes Philippine Island POW numbers, other hellships that transported the men within the Philippine islands, and a column listing where the men were likely to have been surrendered. Letters B, C, and O indicated Bataan, Corregidor, or Other (primarily Mindanao and Manila) surrender locations. Upper case indicates where affidavits, testimony, or other direct documentary evidence exists, lower case letters indicate that the site of surrender is inferential based primarily on unit assignments. A notes column clarifies information that had been footnoted earlier and adds additional supplementary support
The primary sources for the roster are the April 1944 rosters of the La Sang airport construction detail and Davao Penal Colony recovered by US Forces during the liberation of the Philippines and are held in the US National Archives Record Group 407 Box 89. Copies of original documents courtesy Mr. Roger Mansell. Key additional sources include documents from the Shinyo Maru War crimes investigation obtained from the National Archives provided to me by Mr. John Kuehart. The War Crimes files include Report No. 93 listing most of the men aboard the ship and war crimes affidavits from 15 American, and 1 Japanese, survivors. Report no. 93 is available online at the Al Young archives. Additional information from the National Archives WWII Prisoners of War Data file, American Battle Monuments Commission, Center for Research Allied POWs Under the Japanese, and the website: http://www.submarinesailor.com/history/pow/paddlesinksshinyomaru/. Philippine Island POW numbers, and updated unit information was found in numerous original files from the Philippine Archives Collection in pdf and microfilm file formats.
James W. Erickson — August 2026.
COFEPOW - Lisbon Maru full casualty list
Source URL: https://www.cofepow.org.uk/hell-ships-casualties-list/lisbon-maru-full-list
Record count extracte: 828
Source's own caveat: states this is the full list of 828 men who died on 1-2 October 1942. A further 90 men died later in October and are NOT included on this list.
Purpose, Sources, and Ongoing Research
The Global Hellships Casualty Roster is an evolving research database created to document the men who were transported aboard Japanese prisoner-of-war (POW) transport ships—commonly known as “Hellships”—during the Second World War. These vessels carried Allied prisoners from Southeast Asia and the Pacific to labor camps in Japan, Formosa (Taiwan), Manchuria, and Korea. Packed into cargo holds without adequate food, water, sanitation, or medical care, thousands of POWs died during these voyages from disease, starvation, exposure, or enemy attack. Many more perished when the ships themselves were sunk, often unknowingly by Allied submarines or aircraft that were unaware POWs were aboard.
The purpose of this roster is to bring together, in one place, the names and available details of those who died, survived, or were transported on these ships, and to preserve their stories for historians, families, and memorial organizations. While individual ship rosters exist in scattered publications and archives, there has never been a single consolidated global database linking prisoners to specific ships, convoys, sinking events, and final outcomes. This project seeks to fill that gap.
Use this POW Casualty database to explore individual records by simply typing a name, unit, or ship into the search bar, or by browsing through the list. You can sort and filter the data to narrow results based on rank, unit, or other details. To learn more about a specific individual, click directly on the POW’s name—this will open a detailed POW profile card with expanded information, including service details, transport history, and, where available, memorial or burial records.
Sources
Because no single archive contains a complete record of Hellship casualties, the roster draws upon a wide range of international sources, including:
Official military archives
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC)
Japanese wartime records, including the JACAR digital archive
British and Commonwealth service records
War grave and casualty registries
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Netherlands War Graves Foundation (Oorlogsgravenstichting)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
Historical research organizations
COFEPOW (Children & Families of the Far East Prisoners of War)
Roll-of-Honour POW research archives
POW Research Network Japan
National and regional memorial organizations
Published histories and survivor accounts
Official wartime reports and action records
Academic studies of POW transport ships
Survivor memoirs and oral histories
Unit histories and regimental archives
Each entry in the roster is linked, where possible, to one or more documentary sources. These citations help ensure transparency and allow future researchers to verify or refine the information.
A Work in Progress
Despite decades of research, the full story of the Hellships is still being uncovered. Records were often incomplete, destroyed, or scattered across multiple countries at the end of the war. In many cases, the exact ship on which a prisoner traveled remains uncertain, and casualty figures vary among sources.
For this reason, the Global Hellships Casualty Roster should be regarded as a living research project. New information continues to emerge from archival discoveries, digitized records, and family contributions. As additional documents are examined and cross-referenced, entries in the database may be corrected, expanded, or linked to additional sources.
Some entries may therefore contain provisional information or notes indicating that further verification is needed.
Contributions and Corrections
Researchers, historians, and family members are encouraged to assist in improving the accuracy and completeness of the roster. Contributions may include:
Corrections to names, ranks, or service numbers
Identification of the ship associated with a specific POW
Archival documents or service records
Photographs, memoirs, or family accounts
References to published research or archival holdings
All credible information is carefully reviewed before being incorporated into the database. The goal is to maintain a resource that is both historically responsible and respectful to the memory of those involved.
Remembering the Victims
Beyond its value as a research tool, the Global Hellships Casualty Roster serves a deeper purpose: to remember the men who endured one of the most tragic chapters of the Pacific War. Thousands of Allied prisoners from Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia, and many other nations suffered and died aboard these transports.
By assembling their names and stories into a single global record, this project seeks to ensure that the victims of the Hellships are not forgotten and that their experiences remain part of the historical record.
This roster is therefore both a memorial and a research archive—an ongoing effort to document the lives and sacrifices of the prisoners who endured the Hellship voyages of World War II.
Corrections, additions, and historical contributions are always welcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Global Hellships Casualty Roster?
The Global Hellships Casualty Roster is a historical database of Allied prisoners of war who died aboard Japanese Hellships during World War II.
What are Hellships?
Hellships were Japanese transport ships used to move prisoners of war under brutal and often deadly conditions during World War II.
Who can use this roster?
Families, historians, educators, memorial groups, and researchers can use the roster to search casualty records and identify victims connected to Hellship voyages.
What kind of records does the roster include?
The roster includes names, ship connections, casualty information, and related historical context tied to Hellships and wartime transport losses.
Why is this database important?
It preserves the memory of prisoners who died aboard Hellships and supports research, education, and remembrance.