'HMS Belfast visit led to my long-lost grandfather'

When Lawrence Fong visited museum ship HMS Belfast with his wife and children in 2024, he had no idea that he was about to make an extraordinary discovery.

In the ship's East Asia Mess Decks he noticed a photo, and on reading the caption recognised the name of the person photographed - Lau So.

That was the name of his maternal grandfather, but he knew little about him.

He did know that his grandfather was a sailor during the Korean War and had died when Lawrence's mother was very young.

The warship was launched in 1938, served in World War Two and the Korean War, and since 1971 has been docked on the River Thames close to Tower Bridge.

Run as part of the Imperial War Museum (IWM), HMS Belfast is a London tourist attraction, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

With no living family members able to confirm whether Lau So had served on HMS Belfast, Lawrence let the encounter slip.

In the summer of 2025 Lawrence's wife Joanna, driven by curiosity, asked one of the Belfast's volunteers to find out more about Lau So.

The IWM's learning and engagement team spent many hours searching through the archives and were eventually able to confirm that Lau So was Lawrence's grandfather.

According to volunteer Mark Littler, the name was "well known among the team - the only Hong Kong sailor who lost his life aboard the ship during the Korean War (1950 to 1953).

"He was serving as leading steward."

In that role Lau So oversaw senior officers' meals and living quarters and was "remembered as well-liked".

After his death, the ship docked so he could be buried on land in accordance with Chinese custom.

His family received compensation and donations and Lau So's wife, Lawrence's grandmother, remarried a few years later.

Today, Lau So's four grandchildren live between the UK and Hong Kong and remain a close-knit family.

Visiting the ship on Monday, Lawrence said: "I really appreciate how HMS Belfast honour people who've died when they were in the service.

"I feel really proud that my grandfather is one of the navy who served in the Korean war. I don't think there are many families in Hong Kong who can have this kind of experience to share."

Anne Lam, from the Imperial War Museum who carried out the research and confirmed the link, added: "He was well respected by the British captain onboard, and he was well liked by all."

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