Admiral Andrew Chan Chak K.B.E. 1894-1949

Admiral Chan-Chak Chaushek 1894 - 1949

Click here for Tributes to Admiral Chan Chak KBE

The Legendary One Legged Chinese Admiral Chan Chak

Admiral Chan Chak and his party arrived in the Colony on 7th December⁸, and set up office in the Pedder building under the cover of Wah Kee & Co. [China & Company]. Their task was to co-ordinate the activities of the Nationalist agents, many of whom were northern Triad members, in winkling out Jap sympathizers. There were four members of Colonel S.K. Yee the National Military Council of China in Hong Kong led by Admiral Chan Chak Chaushek, Sino-British C-In-C. He was the Commander of the 4th Naval Squadron. Colonel Yee Shiu Kee of the Chinese Secret Service was the Admiral's 2nd in command, Flag Lt-Commander Henry Heng Hsu was the Admiral's ADC, and his Coxswain Yeung Chuen.

Admiral Chan-Chak Chaushek was granted the dignity of an Honorary Knight Commander of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire (K.B.E.). on 19th August 1942. He was presented with the award by Sir Horace Seymour the British Ambassador to China at Chungking on 4th November 1942 on behalf of King George VI.

The award was for his services in controlling the Triad gangs and keeping civil disorder to a minimum and leading the escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla and escorting Senior Officers from Fortress HQ. He was known as the legendary "one legged " Chinese Admiral, the Nelson of the East who was loaned to the British forces in Hong Kong by Chiang Kai Chek when the Japanese invaded on 8th December 1941.

Admiral Chan Chak and David MacDougall were treated by Dr So for their bullet wounds while the party rested at the American run Wai On hospital mission complex by the river in Waichow.

The VIP escape party at Waichow 30th Dec 1941
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Photo from the Ted Ross collection ©. The VIP escape party at the Wai On hospital complex in Waichow 30th December 1941

Back: Supt Bill Robinson I. P., W. O. William M Wright HKRNVR, Capt Peter Macmillan R. A.,Capt Reginold Guest 1st Mdsx, Coxswain Yeung Chuen CN, Ted Ross B.M.I.

2nd: David MacDougall B.M.I., Admiral Chan Chak CN, Major Arthur Goring Probyns Horse, Sq-Ldr Max Oxford RAF

1st: Holgar Christiansen MN, Lt-Cmdr Henry Heng Hsu CN.

Colonel Yee Shiu Kee was last seen on the bullet riddled boat in Aberdeen South where the Admiral received a bullet in his left wrist. He later hid in a church with Henry Hsu's bible and wearing his shoes¹⁴. General (then Colonel) Yee Shiu Kee was granted the dignity of an Honorary Commander of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire (C.B.E.). on 16 July 1942, and attended a presentation at Chungking on 24 October 1942 held by the British Representative on behalf of King George VI

The Admiral's right hand man, Lt-Cdr Henry Hsu Heng was granted the dignity of an Honorary Officer of the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.). on 19th August 1942. He was presented with the award by the British Representative at Chungking on 4th November 1942 on behalf of King George VI at the same ceremony as Vice Admiral Chan Chak. Born 6 December 1912 in Kwangtung he was a great athlete, and became an International Olympic Committee member 1970-1988 As well as being a member of the Chinese Taipei Parliament 1972-1986 Henry is married to Amy (deceased) with three children, (one boy & two girls) living in Taipei.

Guerilla leader Leung Wing Yuen was re-instated into the official Chinese military. during the escape

It was at Shiukwan that Chan Chak started to read the Christian Bible given to him by Henry Heng Hsu while Henry found the MTB's at Aberdeen Island. He converted to Christianity from Buddhism after Henry saved his life prior to boarding the MTB's at Aberdeen Island, and was baptized at the Union Church in Chungking in 1943 and adopted the name "Andrew"

Click here for Admiral Chan Chak's escape account in a radio broadcast to the nation from Chungking at 7pm on 20th March 1942

Chan remained based in Chungking for the remainder of the war.

Admiral Chan Chak with Cmdr Hugh Montague/Coxswain Yeung Chuen at Kukong. The Admiral again after the war

The New Zealand Presbyterian Church Methodist Mission at Kukong was run by Peredur Jones and his wife Muriel with a staff of six missionaries and their wives. Located on the west bank where the rivers Mo Shui & the Ching Shui merged. "At the southern end of this shanty town, there were two Christian Mission stations; one was Catholic, operating a school by the Salesian Fathers; the other was Protestant, operating a sizable hospital by the Methodist. The latter, the "Ho Sai" Hospital ( ), literally meant the Hospital on the West Bank, was well staff and well run. The medical superintendent of the hospital was a New Zealander of Irish origin. He was Dr. S. H. Moore. Assisting him, was a team of good Chinese doctors, backed up by a nursing school. It was perhaps the one and only really decent and dependable hospital in the whole of war time South China. Along with Dr. Moore, were a few European Missionaries, doing their evangelical work. To reach the (mission ) from downtown Kukong, one had to cross the Western River, by one of the two pontoon bridges, and then walk southwards for about 15 minutes. Inside the hospital campus, there were built, apart from the main hospital buildings for wards and for nurses quarters, three blocks of two storeyed European style buildings; one was the Medical Superintendent's Living quarters; one was for the Chinese Assistant Medical Officers; and the other for the expatriate Missionaries. In between the blocks, were well tended gardens. In the Medical Superintendent's Quarters, there was a spare guest room"¹⁶.

It was here that Admiral Chan Chak finally had the bullet removed from his wrist by Dr S H Moore (Mooi) at the "Ho Sai" hospital. The Admiral kept the bullet and had it mounted on a gold chain which he wore from his left lapel. " Mooi had removed the bullet from his wrist but he had hemorrhaged from a gastric ulcer which was no longer quiescent due to congratulatory feasts en route to Kukong. He was given a blood transfusion directly from Peredur Jones, our Welsh missionary, whom he later rewarded with a bottle of whisky".¹⁷. After his surgery Admiral Chan Chak stayed as a guest in Dr Moore's young daughters bedroom decorated with Mother Goose posters, receiving many VIP visitors including a decoration from President Chiang Kai Shek.

"After the arrival of the sixty-five men, the next group of escapees from Hong Kong was headed by Colonel Lindsay Ride, Professor of Physiology at Hong Kong University, with two other university lecturers and Francis Lee, one of his Chinese students. Colonel Ride joined Harry Owen Hughes in the spare bedroom and it was there that the British Army Aid Group was born, a type of Ml6 organisation whose first objective was to organise en masse escapes from the prison camps in Hong Kong"¹⁷.

16 Paul Tsui's (BAAG) Memoirs

17 Daughter of China by Jean Moore Edited by Margaret Moore 1992 (Self published)

Admiral Chan Chak at Kukong 7th Jan 1942
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Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection ©

Gen Chiang, David M MacDougall, Cmdr Hugh M Montague RN, General Yu Han Mow, Admiral Chan Chak, Col Owen H Hughes, & Gen Wong at Shaoguan 7th January 1942

Admiral Chan Chak kept the bullet removed from his left wrist, and had it mounted on a gold chain to wear on his lapel as a permanent reminder of his incredible escape from Hong Kong. After the war Chan became the first post war Mayor of Canton.

Chan's exploits during the 18 day battle and the epic escape are the stuff of legend. He became known as the Nelson of the far east after the legendary Admiral Lord Nelson.

The bullet that was removed from Admiral Chan Chak's wrist along with his pocket watch.

The Author, Buddy Hide's son Richard with Admiral Chan Chak's son Donald Chan

Having met Donald and Mason Chan several times I would like to express my pleasure in meeting and becoming friends with such nice people. They came to my part of the World and insisted on wining and dining me as a token of their and the whole Chan family including Henry Hsu's appreciation for the research and effort in building and publishing this web site. Let me say it has been my pleasure, it has been a fascinating journey researching the events that led up to and including the epic escape from Hong Kong on Christmas day 1941. This all started with a short newspaper article and a few photos with minimum detail after the death of my father in 1977. I never in my wildest dreams imagined the huge response I was to get when I published the original one page site requesting information all those years ago. I have had hundreds of Emails from all over the World from survivors and 2nd & 3rd generation descendants of those involved. I thank you all. Without the strength and resourcefulness of Admiral Chan Chak I would not be here today. I am pleased that his extended family down the generations have had the pleasure of reading about their forefather who was a giant amongst men. May you all enjoy a healthy, happy, and extended life.

Photo from Russell Joyce, grandson of A/B Les Barker MTB 11 ©

Photo from Richard Hide, son of PO Buddy Hide MTB 07 ©

Admiral Chan Chak's pocket watch & the bullet removed from his wrist

A portrait of Chan while Mayor of Canton in 1945 with the bullet removed from his wrist on a gold chain on his left lapel. The KBE presented to Admiral Chan Chak.

Click here to read some tributes to Admiral Chan Chak

Chan Chak became the first post war Mayor of Canton after the Japanese surrender in 1945. He held this post for one or two years. His death was announced unexpectedly on 1st September 1949 aged 56 in Canton. On August 31, 1949, Chan had a party at his residence. His wife Leung Siu Chee had just passed away two months earlier in Hong Kong. Amongst the guests at Chan's party was Leang Yung Yuan who of course had aided in the Admiral's escape in 1941. The following day Chan was found dead, he had suffered stomach ulcers during the escape and the doctor said it had flared up and burst. Chan Chak was promoted to full Admiral and was given a state funeral and buried with full Military Honours in Canton attended by over five hundred military and Government officials.

In 1930 he was promoted to Rear Admiral and Commander In Chief of the Chinese Navy by Dr. Sun Yat Sun

Admiral Chan Chak's father Chan Yau Shan

Chan Chak was born in 1894 in Sar Kong Village, Man Cheung City, Hainan China. When Chen was three his father took him to Singapore to make a living. His father was a messenger between Hoi Nan and Singapore. He also pulled the rickshaw on the side. Chen came back to his homeland at 8. By then he had two brothers. He became the leader of the village boys. When they played battle games, he won constantly. Although Chen's family was very poor, he was fortunate to attend primary school. He was a high achiever and a hard worker. Chen used all his pocket money towards books. He also attended secondary school.

Chan lost his leg as a young man after cutting his foot and failing to get medical treatment, it became infected and finally he had to have his leg amputated.

Wing Commander Max Oxford , Admiral Chan Chak K.B.E., & Commander Henry Heng Hsu O.B.E. on 17th March 1944

Mayor [of Canton] Chan visiting Max Oxford now the Deputy Director of Civil Aviation in Hong Kong.

Admiral Chan Chak counter-signing the Japanese instrument of surrender in Canton, August 1945

The one eyed & one armed Lt-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO who was Winston Churchill's representative to Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek with the one legged legendary Chinese Admiral Chan Chak KBE and other British and Chinese Military officials in October 1943

The first post war Mayor of Canton Admiral Chan Chak with officials including the Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong David MacDougall in the dark trousers.

An exhibition in the Hong Kong Museum of Coastal Defence is planned to celebrate the incredible achievements of this legendary figure to coincide with the 68th anniversary reenactment of the incredible escape. Members of the Chan family and first and second generation descendants of other escapees will retrace part of the escape rout from Aberdeen to mainland China at Christmas 2009 in memory of this epic journey.