Bega Valley couple's family links to recently discovered sunken Montevideo Maru POW ship

They each had a family member on board the ill-fated Montevideo Maru, the Japanese ship that was carrying nearly 1000 Australian prisoners of war when it was torpedoed and sunk by the US in July 1942.

The wreck of the WWII ship was discovered on Saturday, 81 years after its sinking, 4000 metres below sea level off the coast of the Philippines.

In a fascinating coincidence, it wasn't until 20 years or more into their marriage that Brian and Leona discovered they each had a separate link to Australia's worst maritime tragedy.

Brian said he can remember when he was six years old, waving goodbye to his uncle Ray as he left to serve his country.

"I remember standing at the gate and waving as he walked off down the street," Brian told the Bega District News after Tuesday's dawn service.

"That was the last time anyone in the family saw him."

Ray Cairns served in the 2/22nd Infantry Battalion, posted to Rabaul as part of Lark Force.

Brian said the 2/22^nd Battalion Band, of which Ray was part, was composed almost entirely of Salvation Army band members from the Brunswick area in Victoria who had joined en masse.

Band members served as stretcher bearers during the fighting.

"When the Japanese invaded Rabaul, Lark Force was greatly outnumbered," Brian said.

"They fought valiantly but they ran out of ammo and then their commander ordered a withdrawal saying it was 'every man for himself'."

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In the aftermath, around 160 of the retreating soldiers were rounded up and killed by the Japanese in what has become known as the Tol Massacre. A further 836 were taken prisoner.

Those prisoners were being shipped on the Montevideo Maru when the US submarine Sturgeon torpedoed and sank it, unaware POWs and civilians were on board.

"I remember my dad, grandfather and uncles all left wondering what had happened to Ray," Brian said.

"The Australian authorities refused to reveal details of the sinking until well after the war had ended.

"The secrecy from authorities was hard to cope with," he said.

In an unexpected turn of events, Leona discovered she had a cousin who had also been on board the Montevideo Maru when it was sunk.

"We were visiting the Canberra war memorial and when Brian went to find Ray's name I thought I'd look for my family name and it was there as well!" Leona recalled.

She said her cousin - Wilfred Howlett - was one of two brothers who were trying to make their way home after a posting.

"They missed their train and when they went to catch a taxi one of the brothers was hit by a car and spent two years in hospital.

"The other brother went to Rabaul and ended up being captured by the Japanese."

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Brian said the discovery of the shipwreck on Saturday brought with it a long-awaited "closure".

"It's amazing. All this time. It's a big sigh of relief and that oft-used word 'closure'."

Sydney's Silentworld Foundation announced the find on April 22.

The maritime archaeology and history foundation partnered with deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and the Defence Department and found it on the 12th day of their search, according to a media release Silentworld issued on Saturday morning.

Specialists spent days verifying the wreck, Silentworld's director John Mullen said.

"The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in Australian military and maritime history," he said.

"Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking. Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims.

"Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster."

The wreckage sits deeper underwater than the Titanic and will not be disturbed, Silentworld said in its media release.

"No artefacts or human remains will be removed. The site will be recorded for research purposes out of respect for all the families of those onboard who were lost," it said.

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