A courageous stand of Captain and crews Bengloe III and Benreoch I, risking their lives to save 500 people from the flames and rubble.

The Day the Earth Shook: Ben Line's Legacy of Courage

 

 

Over Ben Line’s 200-year history, we have faced many moments of adversity — but few were as harrowing as the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.  

 

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Tokyo-Yokohama region on 1st September 1923, causing catastrophic damage to the region. Over 100,000 lives were lost as buildings crumbled and fires swept through the city.  

 

At the time, Ben Line vessels Bengloe III and Benreoch I were docked in the Port of Yokohama, close to the epicentre. In the face of immense danger, Captain McCorquodale and the crew of the Bengloe III assisted by Benreoch I sprang into action — launching lifeboats repeatedly to rescue both Japanese and foreign nationals from the burning city and to bring them to the safety of the ships. By nightfall, they had saved approximately 500 people.  

 

We are immensely proud of the heroic efforts of our crews that day.

Their courage not only saved lives, but also helped forge deep and lasting bonds between Ben Line and the people of Japan — a relationship that endures to this day.