Admiral Chan Chak CN / Flag Lt-Cdr Henry Hsu CN / Cmdr Montague RN / Cmdr Gandy RN / Sq-Ldr Oxford / Maj Goring / Capt Guest / Capt Macmillan /
Overland from Nan'ao in China to Rangoon in Burma 2880 Miles
MTBs 07 & 09 Hiding in Telegraph Bay on Christmas Day 1941 prior to the escape that evening
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
MTB 07 alongside the stone pier with 09 covered in straw and branches hiding from enemy aircraft in Telegraph Bay on the day of the escape, Christmas day 1941. 07 still has a full complement of depth charges on deck.
Waichow to Liucheng
Photo from Lt Ashby's collection ©
Traveling by Sampans towed by charcoal burning motor house boats [MHBs]150 miles up the East River from Waichow to Liucheng. The MHBs, known as Walla-Walla's by the locals were breaking down constantly and eventually they did away with the towed Sampans. This route out of Waichow was used many times by later escapees from the Hong Kong prisoner of war camps.
view of the mountains they climbed on the route from Nanao to waichow.
Photo from david Hide's collection ©
The route from Nan'ao to Waichow led through some of the roughest terrain imaginable.
The temple at Wong Mu where they slept on the floor covered with straw.
Photo from Richard Hide's collection ©.
Waichow 30th December 1941
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
Back: Christiansen M.N, A/B Pawley, A/P.O.Hide R.N, Ross B.M.I, P.O. Dyer, W.O. Wright H.K.R.N.V.R, Cox-Walker M.N, P.O. Stonell R.N, C.P.O.Thums R.N, P.O. Tel Meadows, Brazel M.N, Gurd, Arnold, Hempenstall, McQueen, Foster, Quixell
3rd: Halliday M.N, Marchant M.N, Skinner M.N, Holmes, Whatley, Brogden, A/P.O. Priestley R.N, Kelly, Downey, Holt, Evans, Purchase, Rutter, Penny, P.O. Moore R.N, Thorpe, Barker, Schillemore, Carr, Hill, Charleson, Burrows, Raun, Deatin, Gavaghan?, Pony Moore.
2nd: Capt Macmillan R.A, Supt Robinson I.P, Sq-Ldr Oxford R.A.F, Lt Pittendrigh R.N.R, Lt Ashby R.N.V.R, Lt Collingwood R.N, Lt-Cmdr Gandy R.N, Cmdr Montague R.N, Adm Chan-Chak CN, Lt-Gen Wong, Lt-Gen Chen, Lt-Cmdr Yorath R.N, Maj Goring H.Q. Staff, Capt Guest 1st Mdlx, Lt Parsons R.N.V.R, Lt Kennedy R.N.V.R.
1st: Sub-Lt Gee & Brucey the dog, Maj-Gen Fu, Mr Au Yeung, Coxswain Yeung Chuen CN, Lt-Cdr Hsu Heng CN, Maj-Gen Tung, Sub-Lt Legge R.N.V.R, Sub-Lt Brewer R.N.V.R.
A/P.O. Al Burrows, A/B Lenny Rann, P.O. Charly Moore, & Lt Collingwood & his dog Bruce, with A/P.O. Buddy Hide is in the background with the escape party at Kukong on the 6th January 1942
Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©
Lt-Cmdr Gandy with his back to the camera, A/PO Burrows, A/B Rann,
L/S Les Barker, & PO Carr falling in to march into Kukong on the 6th January 1942
Photo from Ted Ross's collection ©
On the March
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
The Escape party marching past a welcome banner as they do a cermonial march into Shaoguan (Kukong) 6th January 1942.
The bombed out main street in Waichow
Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©
The Admiral is feted on arrival in Kukong
Buddy Hide's Chinese Rossete
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
Lt Pittendrigh RNR, Lt-Cmdr Yorath RN, & Sub-Lt Brewer HKRNVR relaxing at Kukong
Members of the Methodist Mission run by the YMCA greet the escape party.
Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©
The Methodist Mission in Kukong where Admiral Chan Chak was operated on to remove the bullet he had been carrying since Hon Kong and have a blood transfusion due to infection.
48 Members of the escape party with General Wu in Kweiyang;
Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©
Kweiyang 26th January 1942
Some of the Officers enjoying a day out in Kweiyang with their female hosts including Dr Lim's 15 year old daughter Effie in the tartan kilt. Sub-Lt David Pauncefoote Legge in the centre lived in Shanghai and spoke the language, and so was the interpreter.
The officers left to right are Sub-Lt Gee [MTB 07], Sub-Lt Brewer [MTB 09], Sub-Lt Legge {MTB 11], Lt Parsons [MTB 27], & Lt Alexander Kennedy of MTB 09, the author of the privately published book "Hong Kong Full Circle 1939-1945".
Photo from Alick Kennedy's collection ©
Photo fromRon Ashby's collection ©
If we are not going up we are going down and if not down then up
Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©
Admiral Chan Chak being féted in Kukong
Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's ©
Gen Chiang, David MacDougall, Cmdr Montague, Gen Yu Han Mow, Admiral Chan Chak, Lt-Col Harry Owen Hughes, & Gen Wong in Kukong
Photos from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©
Ted Ross and David MacDougall, both of the Ministry of Information arrive in Kukong. David came back to Hong Kong in 1945 as Brigadier Colonial Secretary and accepted a Japanese sword on their surrender.
Sub-Lt Brewer, Tel Chris Meadows, Cox P.O. (Jixer) prest, & S.P.O Charlie moore arriving in Shaoguan (Kukong)
Run the cursor over the photo for more.
Lofty Gurd arriving in Kukong on the 6th January 1942
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 later swapped the jackets with an incoming detachment of Australian h Marines.
Photos from the Ted Ross collection ©
The strain of the journey shows as the Royal Navy Matelots disembark from the trucks at Shaoguan [Kukong] 6th January 1942
Lofty Gurd, Bill Schillemore, John Pawley
Al Rutter, Guerrilla Leader Liang Yung Yuan, Buddy Hide, & George (Bones) Arnold disembarking from their truck at Shaoguan [Kukong].
Photo from the ILN collection ©
The Burma Road; Kunming to Lashio
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
Enduring the treacherous conditions of the Burma road in the Red Cross trucks from Kweiyang
Lt Collingwood, Sub-Lt Brewer, Warrant Officer Wright, & Lt Ashby with ratings A/B jack Holt in the front row third from the left, & A/B Ed Brazel M.N. is front row right.
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
After crossing the border at 17.40 into Burma on the 6th February they messed in the army barracks and celebrated being back on British Sovereign Territory. Lt Ron Ashby had worked for Dodwell & Co Ltd in Hong Kong prior to the war and was most surprised when the four trucks commandeered at Wantung were Dodwell's. They departed on the 7th February 1942 and pushed on to Lashio where they arrived at 17.10. Here they messed in the RAF Station for five days awaiting orders before bording a train for Rangoon.
Photo from Lt Ashby's collection ©
Photo from Buddy Hides collection ©
SS Narcunda ready for the last leg back to Blighty from Bombay via Durban, Cape Town, & Freetown before arriving in Glasgow on Friday 22nd May 1942.
Photo from Lt Collingwood's collection ©
The SS Heinrich Jessen later commandeered & re-named HMIS Barracuda
The H.T. "Heinrich Jessen"
Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©
The H.T. "Heinrich Jessen" under her 31 year old master Georg Hansen R.I.N.R. was the last ship to leave Rangoon, sailing out with members of the 2nd MTB Flotilla from Hong Kong through the Japanese war ships coming in. She was also the last ship to leave Singapore. Renamed HMIS Barracuda she served as a depot ship on the Arakan coast with Cmdr Ron Ashby.
HMIS Barracuda was the first ship back into Both Singapore and Rangoon after the Japanese surrender in 1945.
More to follow
Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence
