BAAG records of shipping in HK during 1944-45 – the Gyoun (aka Agekumo) Maru

Elizabeth Ride has British Army Aid Group (BAAG) records of shipping movements for 1944-45 in Hong Kong during the Japanese occupation in World War Two.

These provide information not only about the ships themselves but what cargo was being brought into and out of Hong Kong during the latter stages of WW2, passengers carried, and of godowns, docks etc that were being utilised. (BAAG Report KWIZ #70.)

The Gyoun (aka Agekumo) Maru, a transport/cargo ship, was seen on 3 Aug 1944

Arrived on 20 Jul 1944 from Shanghai via Formosa

Inward cargo: Anti Aircraft guns, ammunition. Discharged 21-22 Jul and taken to Tsim Sha Tsui barracks

On 1 Aug berthed alongside Cosmopolitan Dock awaiting repairs

An image of this ship would be helpful.

baag-kwiz-70-gyoun-aka-agekumo-maru

This article was first posted on 29th January 2017.

Further information:

  1. For general information about the Elizabeth Ride collection, her father Sir Lindsay Ride, and the British Army Aid group during WW2 a very useful introduction is through http://gwulo.com/node/13968
  2. The BAAG papers are kept at the Hong Kong Heritage Project – Elizabeth M Ride Collection

One comment

  • Peter Cundall

    Gyoun Maru (1890, 912 gt) was formerly Moller’s Ethel Moller seized in December 1941. The intelligence report is mostly correct. The ship was in convoy TA-406 from Shanghai and sailed to Takao (Kaohsiung) as one of 4 ships. The same ships then sailed to Hong Kong as convoy No.91. En route on 4th July the ships were attacked by USS Seahorse and three of the four ships in the convoy (Nitto Maru, Kyodo Maru No.28 and Gyoyu Maru (ex Joan Moller)) were torpedoed and sunk. Gyoun Maru and escorting destroyer Kuri and torpedo boat Hatsukari arrived at Hong Kong at 1540 on 5th July (NB not 20 July).

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