kudou shunsaku

(b. January 7, 1901, d. January 12, 1979)

Officer of the Imperial Japanese Navy and captain of Ikazuchi who made the humanitarian decision to rescue 442 British and American sailors from the sunken HMS Encounter and USS Pope at the Java Sea on March 2, 1942 despite the risk of a submarine attack. Among the 442 saved was Sam Falle, who later became a British diplomat.

More info: Wikipedia article