The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

8th December 1907 - 4th November 1979

 

 

After 3000 miles traveling overland through China and Burma he arrived in a deserted Rangoon. There he joined Lt Kennedy along with Bill Dyer on the Burmese Minesweeper Somagyi. After six and a half weeks they left Akyab onboard the SS Ellenga bound for Calcutta along with eight other flotilla ratings. From Calcutta it was by train across the Indian sub-Continent to Bombay where they boarded the SS Larconia bound for the UK via Cape Town.

In Cape Town they were surprised to see the SS Narkunda arrive with Lt-Cmdr Gandy and flotilla members onboard. They then transferred to the Narkunda with Lt-Cmdr Gandy & Lt Ashby, Buddy Hide, Charlie Evans, John pawley, Al Rutter, Jack Holt, Les Barker, Ron Priestley, Bill Schillemore, & Lofty Gurd. Arriving in Glasgow in the afternoon of the 22nd May there were three officers and 27 ratings of the flotilla who had escaped from Hong Kong 148 days previously.

A/B ; Albert Leonard Downey [ D/J.109308 ] [MTB 10 ex MTB 11] (Devonport) is in the 4th row just behind Commander Hugh Montague in the Waichow group photo.

Al Downey joined the Royal Navy on his eighteenth birthday in 1925 after earning a living as an Errand Boy in Devonport. In March 1938 he was stationed at HMS Vernon with MTB's for six months prior to joining HMS Tamar [MTB 11] in September 1938. After escaping on Christmas Day 1941 with Admiral Chan Chak and the Chinese Liason Party he arrived back in the UK on the 1st June 1942. Downey was awarded the D.S.M in June 1945 while serving on ML 196 in the D Day landings at Gold Beach, Normandy. He retired from the R.N. as a Petty Officer after 22 years service in 1948 and joined HM Customs and was a skipper of the custom launches for twenty years before retiring to Totnes in Devon where he died aged 71.

 

 

 

 

 

C.P.O. Gilbert Thums, P.O. Charlie Moore, A/B Downey, & Cox P.O. Prest in Kukong.

 

 

 

MTB 11 on patrol with the flotilla.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/B Al Downey, Cox P.O. Jixer Prest, & ?? arrive in Shaoguan (Kukong) 6th January 1942.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 11 being worked up at HMS Vernon after completion in July 1938 & laying depth charges on exercise in 1940.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Telegram confirming Al Downey's escape from Hong Kong