There were guns to the left, guns to the right, guns to the front and cannon from above, yet on they sped, right into the fiery jaws of hell itself. This was the maritime equivalent of the charge of the light brigade at Balaclava. The attacking flotilla suffered 40% losses, it was arguably the most daring daylight raid ever undertaken by MTB's in WWII..
MTB 07 led the daylight attack with 09 at full speed on Japanese landing craft crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, Lewis gunning and overturning the LCs with her wake. 07 returned and attacked a second time under heavy fire from Kowloon, sunken ships, Hong Kong Island as well as being machine cannoned by IJA aircraft losing two crew and all three engines in the process. 09 came back and took 07 in tow with the two engine room fatalities onboard. The action was dubbed "The balaclava of the sea"
Lt Ron Ashby HKRNVR with the crew of MTB 07
Photo from the Hide collection ©
MTB 07 alongside HMS Robin in Mirs Bay
Bud Hide with MTB 07
Photo from the Hide collection ©
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
The medals are, from left to right
The 1939-1945 Star.
The Atlantic Star
The Pacific Star with Burma clasp
The 1939-1945 Medal, sometimes known as the Victory Medal, with Oak Leaf Clasp for mention in despatches in Hong Kong, 1941.
General Service medal Minesweeping 1945-1951. 180 days afloat on active clearance in Home, Atlantic or Mediterranean waters 4 Sep 1945 to 30 Sep 1951
Long service and good conduct medal.
Left: Petty Officer Bud Hide
Photos from the Hide collection ©
Ships Log MTB 07 2nd July 1941:
10.36; Dropped depth charges; 9 seconds.
10.40 -11.10; Fishing
Click here for a short movie on how the Scott-Paine MTB's (07, 08, 09 10, 11 & 12) were born
Click here to see a short movie on the role of the MTB's
Ships Log MTB 07
Tues, 21st October 1941.
1804. Stopped, cut engines to pick up 4 Chinese from smashed and overturned junk. Chinese said they were bound from N of Taishan Bay to Hong Kong with a cargo of sweet potatoes when they were stopped by a Jap trawler, their cargo stolen and themselves beaten before Jap's wrecked junk and left them.
1818 Proceeded into Deep Bay.
1828 Stopped to put 4 Chinese on a junk.
Photo from the Hide collection ©
MTB 07 & 09 under camouflage in Telegraph Bay
MTB's 07 & 09 under camouflage alongside in Telegraph Bay on Christmas day 1941.
Photo from the Hide collection ©
Shaoguan/Kukong 6th Jan 1942
Albert Rutter, Chinese Guerilla Leader Leung Wingyuen with StokerPetty Officer Buddy Hide, & Bones Arnold. Hanging out the truck are Les [Lofty] Gurd, Bill Schillemore, & John Pawley during the epic journey across China.
The padded jackets were obtained by Colonel Owen-Hughes at Lung Chun. Owen-Hughes was the British Liaison officer to the Chinese army. The party swapped the jackets later on in Kunming with an incoming detachment of British/Australian Marines from the 204 Military Mission in China. [46]
A/P.O. Al Burrows, A/B Lenny Rann, P.O. Charlie Moore, & Lt Collingwood & his dog Bruce, P.O. Buddy Hide is in the background with the escape party at Kukong.
Photo from the Hide collection
©
Guiyang 23rd - 26th January 1942
Photo from the Hide collection
©
Ships Log: 24th Jan 1942: "Visit to Governor in the morning. Conducted tour of the centre in the afternoon, followed by tea & a 'movie' after dinner." [5]
Huaxi Park near Guiyang
Ships Log: 25th Jan 1942
"Visit to park in the morning. Soccer match in the afternoon, lost 6-1. Dinner in the evening given by the Governor." [5]
Dr Lim organized a seven-a-side football match against his training school team.
Lt-Cmd Yorath with officers & ratings at Huaxi park, Guiyang 25th January 1942
Photo from the Hide collection ©
The Warrant
"For daring and resource in Far East waters"
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
Buddy wrote a detailed account of the escape upon his return to the UK in May 1942.
8th May 1942 (Fri)
HMT 'Narkunda' arrived in Freetown Harbour in Sierra Leone.
After two days re-victualing the Narkunda shaped course for the UK.
15th May 1942 (Thur)
A concert, "The Killjoys," arranged and organized by Lt-Cdr Gandy, Lt Ashby, PO Stonell, & L/S (Pony) Moore was performed by the ships companies of HMTB's, HMT "Narkunda", HMS "Ranchi", "Cilicia," "Cockchafer," & "Birmingham" The performers from the MTB's were (Pony) Moore, Al Rutter, & Eddie Charleson.Photos from the Hide collection ©
Lt Robert Angus Martin Hennessy RN and crew of MTB 07
26/09/1914 - 01/07/1996
Hennessy was O.C. of 07 September 1938 -April 1940
A/B Kenneth Holmes is front row right
Lt Hennessy went on as Senior Officer of the 7th MTB Flotilla [MTB 59] from mid 1942 to May 1943.
From there he went as S.O. of the 8th MTB Flotilla
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
Click here to read more on Lt Hennessy RN
Robert Angus Martin Hennessy was born in Rye, Sussex in September 1914. Became a Naval Cadet in January 1932 and appointed a Midshipman in September 1932. Promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in October 1935 and Lieutenant in June 1938. In the 1930’s he served in the Mediterranean on the battleships Revenge and Queen Elizabeth, before joining Vernon for M.T.B’s. in May 1938. O/C MTB 07 (Hong Kong) 7th Sept 1938- April 1940. During the Second World War, commanding M.T.B.69, he was mentioned in despatches for the destruction of an enemy trawler in the Dover Straits, October 1940. Then commanding M.T.B.77 in the Mediterranean he was mentioned again for an attack on an enemy convoy, February 1943. He was advanced to Acting Lieutenant-Commander in November 1944 and confirmed in that rank in June 1946. Commanded the escort destroyer Lammerton, February 1945-early 1946. Promoted to Commander in December 1951. During the Korean War, he served on the destroyer Comus and was mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.C. As Commander of the frigate Suprise he was created an M.V.O. 4th Class at the Coronation Review 1943. With some copied research.
Footnote
Ex D.N.W. 25 February 1998.
M.V.O. London Gazette 16 July 1953
D.S.C. London Gazette 23 May 1952
M.i.D. London Gazette 3 December 1940
Research and web publication by Buddy Hide Jnr ©
The contents of this web site led to a considerable number of escapee families contacting me and now each other, and remains the principle source of contact and private information for the spin off projects that have followed. The personal accounts enabled me to record the complete and true account of this remarkable episode of Sino-British war time co-operation. The information compiled here has directly resulted in a museum exhibition in Hong Kong, a re-enactment of the escape in Hong Kong and China, with a movie drama and documentary in the making.
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Music; Wild China by Barnaby Taylor and performed by Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble and The Beer Barrel Polka from the movie In Which We Serve