The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

A/B Albert E Rutter RN. MTB 07 JX.134658

??/??/1910 - 15/Oct/1947

A/B Albert Rutter at Waichow

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

Al Rutter was Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished services during the defence of Hong Kong. After 3000 miles traveling overland through China and Burma he arrived in a deserted Rangoon. After five weeks he left onboard the SS heinrich Jessen bound for Calcutta along with Lt-Cmdr Gandy & Lt Ashby, Jix Prest, Buddy Hide, Charlie Evans, John pawley, Jack Holt, Les Barker, Ron Priestley, Bill Schillemore, & Lofty Gurd. From Calcutta it was by train across the Indian sub-Continent to Bombay where they boarded the SS Narkunda bound for the UK via Durban at 15.30 on 26th March 1942.

In Durban they took 657 Italian POW's onboard before shaping course for Cape Town where more of the flotilla crew had arrived onboard the SS Larconia including Lt Kennedy, Bill Dyer & Al Downey, who then transferred to the Narkunda. 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.

P.O. Al Rutter died while serving with HMS Drake 15th Oct 1947

 

 

The crew of MTB 07 in Kowloon 1940

• Lt: R.R.W. Ashby DSC
• Sub-Lt: McGill ??
• P.O. Coxswain: John.W. Prest P/JX.128494 [Mentioned in Dispatches]
• Telegraphist: T.G. Duckworth [killed 19th Dec 41] "Mentioned in Despatches (Posthumous)"
• Acting P.O. Stoker: S.J. Hide [Mentioned in Dispatches] Joined MTB 07 on 1st January 1940
• Leading Stoker: R. Barker [Killed 19th Dec 41]
• A/B: Albert E Rutter
• A/B: Pawley
• A/B Stoker: G. [Bones]Arnold [C/JX.154986]

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hiding in Telegraph Bay

 

 

MTB 07 alongside the stone pier with 09 covered in canvas,straw and branches while 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.

 

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTBs 07 & 09 hiding at the dairy farm pier in Telegraph Bay on Christmas Day prior to the escape that evening.

 

 

 

 

Shaoguan 6th Jan 1942

Albert Rutter, Chinese Guerilla Leader Liang Yung Yuan 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 later swapped the jackets with an incoming detachment of British Marines.

Photo from Ted Ross's collection ©

 

 

 

Photo from the ILN collection ©