VJ Day (Victory over Japan Day) will be commemorated on Friday 15th August 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific.
Film Screening to shed light on one of the biggest maritime disasters of WWII that claimed the lives of over 1000 prisoners of war. The new film shares the stories of survivors, including Exeter Golf and Country Club past-President, Jack Hughieson, who was interviewed at length by the BBC in the 1990s about his remarkable experience.
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A special screening of the new documentary on the sinking of the Lisbon Maru will take place on VJ Day, Friday 15 August 2025, at East Brent Village Hall. The film, which has only recently been launched internationally, tells the long-overlooked story of the 1942 maritime disaster that claimed the lives of over 1,000 prisoners of war.
One of those held aboard the Lisbon Maru was Jack Hughieson, a remarkable man whose life after the war was filled with resilience and achievement. Born in 1920, Jack served in the Royal Scots and was captured when Hong Kong fell to Japanese forces in December 1941. He spent months as a prisoner of war before being packed with hundreds of other men into the cargo hold of the Lisbon Maru, bound for forced labour camps in Japan.
In interviews recorded by the BBC, Jack recalled the terrifying moment when the ship was struck by a torpedo from a US submarine:
“It was pitch black down there. You could hear the water coming in. Men started to panic. Some were praying, some were crying. We knew if the hatches weren’t opened, we’d all be finished.”
As the ship slowly sank off the coast of Zhoushan, Chinese fishermen risked their lives to rescue hundreds of British and Commonwealth soldiers who leapt into the sea. Jack described clambering through a tiny gap when the Japanese finally opened the hatch:
“I got up on deck and saw the sea all around us, men in the water everywhere. I didn’t think I’d get out alive.”
After surviving the sinking, Jack endured further hardship in captivity until liberation in 1945. He was eventually sent to work near Hiroshima, where he endured further harsh conditions and malnutrition. He later described seeing the devastation after the atomic bomb was dropped:
“You could see a huge cloud rising in the distance. We didn’t understand at first what had happened. Later we heard Hiroshima was gone.”
Like many prisoners who were near Hiroshima, Jack suffered long-term health effects. His testimony about those final months of the war provides a rare, first-hand perspective on both the sinking of the Lisbon Maru and the atomic aftermath that reshaped history.
In later years, Jack settled in Devon, a regular golfer, and then Club President at Exeter Golf and Country Club in 2005. Jack was a regular in Wear Park Restaurant, right up until 2014, when he passed away, aged 94, as was well-known for his humour, kindness, and quiet determination.
His recorded memories feature throughout the film, bringing an authentic and poignant voice to this harrowing story. They can also be heard in full on the Imperial War Museum website.
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The Film: The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru
An essential tribute to the men who suffered and died aboard the Lisbon Maru and to survivors like Jack Hughieson, whose courage and testimony ensure this chapter of history will not be forgotten.
Classified as 12A, the documentary is suitable for most children over 12, as it does not contain graphic imagery. It includes interviews with two survivors who were still alive when filming began, alongside archival recordings from Jack Hughieson and other veterans.
Screening Details:
Date: Friday 15 August 2025 (VJ Day)
Time: 7:00 pm (doors open from 6:15 pm)
Location: East Brent Village Hall, TA9 4JG
(Located on the main A370, about 10 minutes south of Weston-super-Mare and 5 minutes north of M5 Junction 22)
There are no advance ticket sales, so attendees are advised to arrive early as seating is limited. A bar and snacks will be available before the screening.
Those wishing to reserve seats can contact Jack’s relative, Chris Hutchison on 07969 227479, to confirm attendance.
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Exeter Golf and Country Club has the possibility of a screening here at the club later this year, if there is demand. To register interest, please click the link below.
