The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

To date thirty three families of the escapees have contacted and contributed to this site with diaries, letters, articles, and oral accounts of the 1941 Christmas Day escape

 

Some one hundred descendents from 1st to 4th generation ranging from 90 down to 2 years old from Asia, Europe, North America, & Oceania participated in re-enacting the great escape from Hong Kong this Christmas. Also an exhibition "Escape from Hong Kong; The Road to Waichow" displaying escape artifacts went on display in the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence, The exhibition will be on display until January 2011

Click here for an excellent account of the 2009 descendents re-enactment by Emma Oxford

 

 

 

The descendents at the site of the 1941 Waichow photo in 2009

The Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence are hosting an exhibition covering this daring escape from Hong Kong, through the Japanese lines to Waichow in mainland China. The HKMCD are hosting the exhibition until the end of 2011.

Run your cursor over each photo.

Christmas dinner was held on the floating Jumbo restaurant in Aberdeen Channel 68 years to the day after the epic escape in 1941.

The HERO committee welcome guests onboard for a very special Christmas dinner at the exact spot where the most dramatic part of the escape took place.

Click here for photos of the re-enactment:

Click here for more photos:

And yet more photos:

 

 

After speeches and a slide show presented by Warwick Ross which resulted in there not being a dry eye in the house, the dinner was consumed with much conversation followed by jollity and dancing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "Escape from Hong Kong; Road to Waichow" exhibition opening ceremony 24th december 2009, which is staging until the end of 2011.

Donald Chan, Deputy British Consul General Mr Neale Jagoe, the Chief Curator of the HK Museum of History Ms Esa Leung, & Kay Collingwood the widow of Lt Collingwood RN opening the exhibition.

To watch the opening ceremony click here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hong Kong Sea Cadet Corps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 1/24 scale model of British Power Boat, Power Class MTB 07 on display.

 

David Hide & Donald Chan enjoying the spectacular views from the 123 year old Lei Yue Mun redoubt, the site of the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence in Shau Kei Wan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alick Kennedy the son of Lt Alexander Kennedy RNVR of MTB 09 chatting to Nigel Collingwood, the son of Lt C J Collingwood RN of MTB 11.

HERO attracted an old school friend of ours Bill Lake who is an amateur military historian living in Hong Kong, we were last together some fifty years ago at RHS in Holbrook, Suffolk.

Richard Hide (Raleigh House) Bill Lake (Drake House) David Hide (Raleigh House)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admiral Chan Chak's right hand man Henry Hsu describing in 2006 the machine gunning in Aberdeen Channel.

Photos from Richard Hide's collection ©

 

 

 

Aberdeen Island where the Cornflower survivors swam ashore under machine gun fire.

 

Planning the re-enactment at the Aberdeen Marina Club Hong Kong in 2008.

 

 

The temple at Wong Mu where the escape party slept on the floor lined with straw on the first night.

 

The daunting mountains the escape party scaled on the 2nd days march where Lt Parsons collapsed and David MacDougall still carrying a bullet in his back needed a sedan chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Hide the son of P.O. Buddy Hide of MTB 07 and Alick Kennedy the son of Lt Alexander Kennedy of MTB 09 arrive on Tung Ping Chau where the MTB's rendezvoused to gather intelligence before proceeding to Nanao on the Dapeng peninsula, mainland China where the flotilla was scuttled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After much discussion amongst the guerrilla descendents & an old timer from Nanao who witnessed the MTB scuttling, the son of the guerrilla leader Liang Yung Yuan showed exactly where the MTB flotilla was scuttled in the early hours of Boxing Day the 26th December 1941. (About 30 meters to the left of the two boats in the foreground).

Following the escape trail out of Nanao.

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Hide & Donald Chan the son of Admiral Chan Chak at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the spiritual home of the HKRNVR admiring the ships crest of HMS Cornflower on whose launch the escape party were shot up in Aberdeen channel in 1941.

The HKRNVR trophy vase is raced for annually in memory of the HKRNVR members lost in battle.

The HKRNVR was formed from twelve RHKYC members including Ron Ashby (MTB 07) & Laurence Kilbee (MTB 08) on Trafalgar day 1937.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The old walled Hakka village of Dashanxia where the escapees spent a comfortable night being fed generously by the inhabitants on the night of 28th december 1941 prior to the final push (bike) to Waichow now Huizhou.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Hide toasting Lou Bo the last of the East River Column Guerrillas. And a Nanao old timer with Admiral Chan Chak's son Donald Chan who witnessed the escape party coming ashore and the flotilla being scuttled in the early hours of 26th December 1941.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Zhuo Qinrui receiving HERO as we start our journey in China.

And the Deputy Secretary General of Huizhou Municipality Ms Qiu Huilin attending the HERO farewell banquet in Waichow (now Huizhou).

 

 

 

 

 

 

HERO meets the descendents of the East River Guerrilla Column, and receiving a presentation from their China partners the CCDA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our motorcade and police escort which we had throughout our trip in China.

And Nigel Collingwood, the son of Lt C J Collingwood RN of MTB 11, with David Hide, the son of SPO Buddy Hide RN of MTB 07.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Luard, son-in-law of SOE agent Colin McEwan and former BBC China correspondent giving an overview of the men of the escape at the Holy Spirit Seminary next to the Aberdeen-Ap-Lei-Chau bridge.

Mike Elliott, son-in-law of Sqd-Ldr Max Oxford and Time International editor giving an overview of the battle for HongKong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philip Snow the author of "The fall of Hong" giving an overview of the political situation in 1941.

Sub-Lt david legge's family listening intently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some spectacular views of the Eastern Himalaya while flying out to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong airport, one of the newest & largest in the world, built in a typhoon area. The roof & walls are connected by wishbones, the same as the front wheels on a car, to allow flexing under severe wind pressure during the typhoon season.

 

 

 

 

 

Letters of recognition & Endorsement

• Peoples Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• HRH Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh, Buckingham Palace
• Ivan Lewis, Minister of State HMG Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• The Royal British Legion
• The Royal British Legion Hong Kong & China branch
• Professor Sir Alan Peacock
• Sir James Hodge, HM Consul-General in Hong Kong 2000-2003
• Lord Wilson of Tillyorn
• Andrew Seaton, British Consulate-General, Hong Kong
• RHKR The Volunteers Association

Families attending the re-enactment

• Admiral Chan Chak KBE CN
• Coxswain Yeung Chuen CN
• Chinese Guerrilla families
• Lt Collingwood RN MTB 11
• Lt Kennedy RNVR MTB 09
• Sub-Lt D Legge HKRNVR MTB 11
• Capt Peter Macmillan RA
• Sq-Ldr Max Oxford RAF
• David MacDougall Ministry of Information
• Ted Ross Ministry of Information
• Capt Colin McEwan SOE
• Lt-Col harry Owen-Hughes RHKR
• PO Buddy Hide RN MTB 07
• A/B Les Barker RN MTB 11
• A/B Jack Thorpe RN MTB 11