User:Ronyanbu/Nils Eric Amelon Moller

Nils Eric Moller was the managing director of Moller Line Ltd., a famous shipping company based in Shanghai. He was born 12 Aug 1875 in Shanghai, China and died 13 Mar 1954 at the old Kallang Airport, Singapore.

Eric was also the builder of the famous "Moller Villa" in Shanghai. He started the Villa in 1927 and it was completed in 1936. The Villa is located in the former International Settlement area. Following 1949, the Moller Villa became the headquarters of the Shanghai branch of the Communist Youth League. It was renovated in 2001 and is now operated by a local Chinese company as the Heng Shan Moller Villa Hotel.

Eric and most of his family were interned by the Japanese during WW II. It has been reported that Eric's wife and two daughters got as far as the Philippines before being caught. Eric was held as a civilian intern during WW II at the Haiphong Road Civil Assembly prison camp near Shanghai. Eric's sister Minnie and two of his sons were held at the Chapei Civil Assembly prison camp during WW II. All survived the war. Eric eventually moved Moller Lines to Hong Kong and continued to manage the family shipping business until his death in 1954.

Eric Sr's race horse Silkylight (with son Budgie riding) won "The Triple Crown" (The Maiden Stakes, The Hong Kong Derby and The Hong Kong Champions) in February 1938.

Eric and 32 others (31 passengers and 2 crew) were killed when a Qantas - BOAC Lockheed Constellation (Registration G-ALAM} 'Belfast' enroute from Sydney via Brisbane and Singapore to London crashed on arrival at Kallang Airport in 1954. The accident was caused by the aircraft coming in too low over the sea at Singapore. One leg of the undercarriage struck the seawall at the end of the runway and broke with the result that on final touchdown, it collapsed and the aircraft overturned on the runway with all escape exits blocked. All passengers were fatally burned or asphyxiated. The basic cause of the accident was subsequently found by the Singapore investigating tribunal to be pilot error and pilot fatigue.

Eric's widow, Mrs. Isabel Blechynden Moller, made arrangements on Sept 26, 1954 for his ashes to be placed near the grave of his father, Captain Nils Moller, at the Helsingborg Cemetery in Helsingborg, Sweden.

It should be noted that WW II Japanese prisoner records and Helsingborg cemetery records list Eric Moller's name as Nils Eric Amelon Moller.