Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

 

Leading Stoker Charles Evans D/KX86622 [MTB 07] (Gorton, Manchester)

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

 

After 3000 miles traveling 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]

Charlie later recorded in his Manchester accent "I dont know what we would have done for food and drink if it haddn't been for the Chinese, they were wonderful. Why in one village they were so poor they had to make a collection from hut to hut so they could feed us, and they did it. Jolly good meal it was too, mostly rice but I was full when we finnished, rice never tasted so good, it was all boiled with bits of meat and fish."^[72]

 

The crew of MTB 07 in Kowloon 1940

• Lt: R.R.W. Ashby DSC
• Sub-Lt: Gee
• 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 ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lt Ron Ashby and crew

 

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 07 in Mirs Bay

 

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 07 & 09 Hiding in Telegraph Bay

 

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MTB 07 crew out on a jolly

 

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Out on a jolly, Buddy Hide & Bones Arnold both seated

 

 

 

MTB 07 crew out on a jolly

 

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bones Arnold leading the intrepid party ashore

 

 

 

MTB 07 on patrol in Tathong Channel

 

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SA/B Bones Arnold, Gen Au Yeung, & L/St Charlie Evans at Kukong 6th Jan 1942

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shiukwan [Kukong] 6th January 1942

A/B Stoker George [Bones] Arnold MTB 07, Mr Ow Young, & L/Stoker Charlie Evans arriving in Kukong.

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.