Petty Officer Steve [Buddy] Hide MTB 07 of the 2nd MTB Flotilla Coastal Forces Hong Kong

Steve [Buddy] Hide MiD RN 1914 - 1977 Lewes, Sussex

Acting Stoker Petty Officer Steve [Buddy] Hide was "Mentioned in Despatches" for his action while attacking the Japanese invading forces in Kowloon Harbour on the 19th December 1941.

[4448 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 OCTOBER, 1942]

Photo from the Ross family collection ©

Click here for Buddy Hide's newspaper account of the escape

Click here for the letter that no mother wants to receive

After 3000 miles travelling overland through China and Burma he arrived in a deserted Rangoon. After five weeks he left onboard the Armed Merchant Cruiser Heinrich Jessen bound for Calcutta along with Lt-Cmdr Gandy, Lt Collingwood, Lt Ashby & Jix Prest, Buddy Hide, Charlie Evans, Al Rutter, John pawley, Jack Holt, Les Barker, Ron Priestley, and others. From Calcutta it was a thirty six hour train journey across the Indian sub-continent to Bombay where they boarded the armed merchant cruiser "Narkunda" bound for Durban where they took onboard 657 Italian POW's before shaping course for Cape Town.

Lt Kennedy onboard the 'Larconia' in Cape Town wrote, "The 'Laconia' was followed into harbour by another troopship, the 'Narkunda', and to our surprise Gandy and the other half of the M.T.B. party were on board. The 'Laconia' party received a warm welcome, perhaps not so much as old ship-mates but as extra hands to share duties of guarding the six hundred Italian prisoners-of war being taken to England in the ship". On board the 'Narkunda' the MTB party was almost complete." ^[9] We set sail again on the 19th April, but had to return due to engine trouble. This time we anchored in Table Bay with no ships boats for a run ashore. We finally got under way on the 28th with a ten-day passage to Freetown.

After leaving Freetown they had to sleep fully dressed as they negotiated the U-boat packs in the north Atlantic continuously zigzagging enroute for the UK. Gandy, Ashby, & Kennedy along with 27 ratings finally arrived in the King George V dock, Sheildhall, Glasgow late afternoon on Friday 22^nd May 1942 onboard the "Narkunda".^[15]

Buddy married in Lewes UK, just days after getting back home, after a short leave he was back out to the Far East continue the war with Japan.

Buddy retired after 22 years distinguished service in the Royal Navy before emigrating to Mwadui in Tanganyika, East Africa in 1955.

SPO Buddy Hide

The crew of MTB 07 in Kowloon 1940

The crew of MTB 07 in Kowloon 1940 ;
Run the curser over to identify individuals ;

Photo from Budyy Hide's collection ©

Lt: R.R.W. Ashby DSC
Sub-Lt: ???
P.O. Coxswain: John.W. Prest P/JX.128494 [MiD]
Telegraphist: T.G. Duckworth [killed 19th Dec 41 MiD]
A/S.P.O.: S.J. Hide P/KX.82873 [MiD] 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 ©

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

A/L Stoker Buddy Hide joins MTB 07 21st March1940.

Promoted to Leading Stoker 19th August 1940

Promoted to Acting Stoker petty officer 7th April 1941

Promoted to Stoker Petty Officer 7th April 1942

Promoted to Stoker Chief Petty Officer 7th May 1945

Promoted to Chief Petty Officer Stoker Mechanic 1st May 1947

Retired from Royal Navy 28th May 1955

Lt Ron Ashby and crew of MTB 07

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

The forward Lewis guns onboard MTB 07 in Mirs Bay

Photo from Buddy Hide's & Ron Ashby's collections ©

MTB 07 on patrol with the 2nd MTB Flotilla in Tathong Channel, Hong Kong, later scuttled behind enemy lines in Mirs Bay

The medals are, from left to right

The 1939-1945 Star.
The Atlantic Star
The Pacific Star with Burma clasp
The 1939-1945 Medal, sometimes known as the Victory Medal, with Oak Leaf Clasp for mention in despatches in Hong Kong, 1941.
General Service medal Minesweeping 1945-1951. 180 days afloat on active clearance in Home, Atlantic or Mediterranean waters 4 Sep 1945 to 30 Sep 1951
Long sevice and good conduct medal

A 1/24 scale model of MTB 07 takes to the water in 2009 in memory of Ron Ashby & the crew. MTB 07 on patrol in Hong Kong

Hiding in Telegraph Bay on Christmas Day 1941 prior to the escape that evening

MTBs 07 & 09 alongside the stone pier in Telegraph Bay covered in straw and branches hiding from enemy aircraft in Telegraph Bay just hours beforef the escape, on Christmas Day 1941. 07 still has a full complement of depth charges on deck.

Shaoguan [Kukong] 6th Jan 1942

Photo from the Ross family collection ©

guerrilla Leader Leung Wingyuen with Buddy Hide , & East River guerrilla leader Zeng Sheng's son Zeng Deping book signing with Buddy Hide's son in December 2009

Leung had served in the Chinese navy under Admiral Chan Chak ;he was an independent guerrilla chief regarded by the Nationalists as a bandit, and the Admiral was able to enlist his aid in getting them into Free China as far as Kukong by personally vouching for him with the Nationalists.¹

SOE agent Mike Kendall went through an ancient blood brother ritual in Waichow with the guerrilla leader Leung-Wingyuan before they departed.

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/Australian Marines.

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©

A/P.O. Al Burrows, A/B Lenny Rann, P.O. Charlie Moore, & Lt Collingwood & his dog Bruce, P.O. Buddy Hide is in the background with the escape party at Kukong

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

The Warrant for Mention in Despatches

Buddy wrote a detailed account of the escape upon his return to the UK in May 1942.

Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

Lt Ron Ashby and crew of MTB 07