What lay ahead was a seventeen thousand five hundred mile odyssey for the flotilla crews. "Those next three days were absolutely hell on earth, and our feet were cut to ribbons." Marching by night and marching by day, climbing up and down several thousand feet of mountains and all the time being led and guided by the Chinese guerrillas" Sub/Lt Legge recorded. When it was time to move Kendall barked out the order "READY TO MARCH". We soon came to dread that command as it was a relentless task in order to keep one step ahead of the Japanese before they could find us.

Armed to the teeth with six Bren guns, two Tommy guns and every man a rifle or a revolver; most had both and the party looked a formidable force. The Lewis guns were brought ashore and were to be collected later by the SOE, but alas they were never found again. The Admiral was near the front and carried by his Coxswain. Heading inland over the hilly scrubland carrying kit bags in single file the party did two hours forced marching and rested for the day at a small rice farm in the woods at Gaotie (Kautit). Breakfast was a mixture of local rice with tinned provisions from the MTB's, and fresh tangerines straight off the tree which was a first for most. Here they bartered some excess weight, automatic weapons, ammunition etc. Determined to keep some semblance of naval order Gandy divided watches up by Ships Company, with his crew taking the first watch of the day while the rest were able to get their heads down wherever they could. At 17.00 Sub/Lt Brewer and PO Stonell were assigned galley duty and produced a meal from the tinned supplies brought ashore along with the last of the bread. The locals lashed a chair between two bamboo poles to carry the Admiral & another for MacDougall, and after sleeping most of the day the party assembled for a pep talk by Mike, followed by his barking out "Ready to March", words they came to dread over the next four days. The party set off in single file at 17.30 with Mike at the head with the staff officers while John and Mac brought up the rear with the navy party with Admiral Chan Chak & MacDougall behind in their bamboo lashed chairs.^[15] They headed back to Nanao where Gandy spent some time assessing the scuttled flotilla which was not all below water. After arranging for the locals to do what they could with dismantling the wrecks they set off following the coastline north along a scenic path before heading inland. Gandy recorded in his diary "Absolute silence is the rule, and the clink of a boot or a water bottle brings vigorous hushings and shushings to the clumsy delinquent." They marched a total of 14 miles to the small village of Wangmu with ten-minute breaks every hour. This was close to the guerrilla's headquarters, arriving there late that night. The whole party was extremely tired, and the going was tough and slow. Unwanted gear was discarded as they went. "We slept on the straw laden floor of the temple up the hill. There were people in all stages of dress, one wore gym shoes split down the middle because they were too small. Some had boots, some shoes, some socks, some none. In all, the pack of each person weighed a good fifty pounds. The worst thing was that there was no proper equipment for carrying things, like shoulder straps, haversacks, water bottles, etc. It would have made the load much more comfortable in each case but the navy was not meant to make route marches".^[18] Rising at 06.30 it was now decided that it was safe to march by day and the party split into three groups; each led by a member of the SOE, Mike [Kendall], John [Monia] Talan & Mac [Colin McEwan]. Lt's Ashby & Kennedy and crews were in the third group under McEwan.^[9] The guerrillas were mostly young village teenagers, proud to tell how they dispatched captured Japs quickly by beheading. They had an excellent system of intelligence and knew at all times exactly where the Japs were. Henry managed to organise a gang of coolies to carry the kitbags and provisions, leaving us to carry oil skins, blankets, small arms, and haversacks. We passed within a few miles of the Japs several times without them being aware of us. "We were bitten from head to toe with vermin picked up in the huts we slept in." The weapons of the guerrillas were a mixture of old Japanese rifles and German Mausers which with a clip on extended stock could be used as a rifle. That night they slept in a temple on straw. Lt Kennedy recorded "Three or four of our party were ill, one with dysentery and another suspected of having cholera. It was no wonder, when I think back on the food we had been eating. It was indeed fortunate we were travelling in the coldest part of the year, when disease was at its lowest ebb. We almost froze each night, but that was far better than falling sick."

27^th December

We set off at 08.00 after a breakfast of tinned sausages and cocoa. David MacDougall now needed a chair due to the bullet he was carrying in his shoulder, received while swimming ashore at Aberdeen Island with Admiral Chan Chak. It was very rough going with Lt Tommy Parsons, who had celebrated his 26^th birthday the day the Japanese attacked Hong Kong collapsing with heart trouble as he crested a steep climb of about 2000 feet [610m] over the mountains.^[9] So now we had three being carried in makeshift sedan chairs. As well as commanding MTB 27 Lt Parsons was also ADC to Sir Mark Young the Governor of Hong Kong.^[75]

Lt Ashby recorded in the Fair Log of MTB 07 "Up at 06.30. washed & had breakfast. Then proceeded up inland again, over very hilly country. Fortunately coolies were obtained to carry most of the gear (provisions, kit bags, etc) the actual party carrying weapons and haversacks. Ten minute halt every hour soon heartily welcomed by all ! 2-hour halt at lunch time & supper time. By far toughest day so far, owing to speed of march, nature of country & general softness of us all !" We had to cross an icy cold shallow river before the East-West Highway which was a supply route for the Japanese to Hong Kong near the town of Danshui. The Admiral's right hand man Henry and some of the guerrilla's went ahead to scout and encountered Communist guerrillas who demanded to negotiate with the Admiral. Maj Goring recorded "When we reached the fatal road we were confronted with Chinese local Watch and Ward guards. They were quite willing to let us pass, especially as we had with us the famous Admiral Chan Chak, who had formerly been Governor of the Province, but were determined to extort a large fee for so doing ! To our astonishment the little Admiral -sitting erect in his chair, which was carried on two long bamboo poles-insisted on being placed in the middle of the road to argue with the ruffians. Those grasping villagers demanded twenty-five thousand dollars; all the indignant Admiral would offer was a hundred. Twenty thousand conced the guards. Two hundred snapped the Admiral. After what seemed an interminable delay, the arguement ended in the Admiral paying over a thousand Chinese national dollars- which put our price at 2s. 9d each!" We crossed the Jap-patrolled road at 20.00^[29], and carried on marching, crossing another shallow river until 02.00. Arriving at a village we were informed that the Japs came there every morning at 06.00, so we had to continue for another four hours. Buddy Hide recorded "That day we marched thirty one miles and slept under a tree. It was winter time, and the coldest night we ever slept out in."

28^th December

Les Barker recorded "Rose at 06.30 am and started our trek across country of all kinds. Just a rough track leading over plains and hills and sometimes through isolated villages with the inhabitants sometimes all turning out to see us all file past. Very monotonous, hour after hour, a lot of suffering from blisters and sore feet. At 1300 hours we stopped and had a meal of tinned sausages and half an hour’s rest, then off again." Lt Ron Ashby recorded in the MTB 07 Fair Log "Moved into a school at Samshui where had first meal of the day‐‐‐‐cocoa & some oranges (which cost HK$1 each !) Here were first signs of being in Free China‐‐‐‐advance elements of Yu Han Mou’s army. Just as night fell arrived at Chun-Lung, where accommodation was provided in what appeared to be an old Temple. Really good Chinese food provided by our kindly hosts----plenty of variety & very hot."