The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

 

A 1930's photo showing

(1) The APC building

(2) Kings Theatre Now Louis Vuitton store

(3) The China building incorporating the Gloucester Hotel on the corner with Pedder street, Chan Chak's office was next door on the 4th floor of the Pedder building in Pedder Street.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admiral Chan Chak had an office on the 4th floor of the Pedder building next to the China building under the cover of Wah Kee & Co. or China & Company.

Phase one of the escape started when Captain's Freddie Guest & Peter Macmillan went up to see if Chan and his party were ready to go , they came down the stairs and Henry went round the back to get a car from the vehicle compound. They arranged to meet Henry outside the Kings theatre in Queens Road where at about 15.45 Hrs on 25th December [Christmas Day] Ted Ross and David MacDougall, both in the Ministry of Information now based in the Gloucester hotel, went over to the Kings Theatre where Ted had parked the Buick he had taken from the vehicle compound. There they were joined by the Chinese liaison party consisting of Admiral Chan [Chen] Chak dressed in civilian clothes. Chan was the head of the Chinese liaeson party. Colonel Yee Shiu Kee of the Chinese Secret Service was the Admiral's 2nd in command,  Flag Lt Cdr Henry Hsu  the Admiral's A.D.C. and his Coxswain Yeung Chuen who was his bodyguard. Also there were five British officers from Fortress HQ, Sqd-Ldr Max Oxford [RAF],  Major Arthur Goring,  [Military Intelligence], brought in from Delhi to deal with the 5th columnists,  Super Intendant Bill Robinson of the Indian Police intelligence, Capt Peter MacMillan of the R. A. and Capt Freddie Guest of the Middlesex Regiment [The Diehard's]. Henry Hsu had a soft top Austin car ready in the car park behind. There was not room for all eleven so Goring & Oxford had to source a third car while Ted and Henry sped off westwards down Queens Road. They saw Two Guns Cohen and pulled up, he poked his head in to enquire what they were up to, and declined to join them and sauntered off to take his chance with the Japanese. On they drove, past the Queen Mary Hospital arriving at the Aberdeen Naval Base at 16:15.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 1930's photo of the APC building in Queens Road Central from Pedder Street.

The Pedder building is on the right.