The Chinese Seamen of Liverpool: Service and Betrayal

Liverpool had one of the oldest Chinese communities in Europe, centred around Pitt Street. When war broke out, thousands of Chinese seamen were recruited — often at lower wages than their British counterparts — to crew the merchant ships that carried vital supplies across the Atlantic.

These men faced the same deadly U-boat attacks as all merchant sailors. Hundreds were killed when their ships were torpedoed. They served with courage in one of the war's most dangerous roles.

Yet in 1946, the British government secretly deported hundreds of Chinese sailors, separating them from their British wives and mixed-race children. Many families were torn apart without warning. Wives were told their husbands had 'gone home' voluntarily. The truth only emerged decades later through the campaigning of the Half and Half community.

In 2006, Liverpool City Council issued a formal apology, and a memorial plaque was installed at Pier Head in 2017.