Hong Kong Battle- The MTBs Attack

Tel P.O. Alfred Hunt (G3CHU) MTB 12 (Birmingham)

Whilst on the conning tower along with Lt Colls HKRNVR MTB 12 took a direct hit during the daring daylight action against Japanese landing craft on 19th December 1941. All but three crew lost. Tel PO Alf Hunt woke up tied up with barbed wire while A/B Arthur Bartlett managed to swim ashore to Hong Kong Island where he was taken to the Queen Mary hospital suffering immersion.

Alf was taken prisoner and interned in Argyle Street and later shipped off to Japan onboard the imfamouse "Lisbon Maru"

After the war Alf was a keen Radio Amateur with the call sign G3CHU and was Chairman/Secretary of the Far East POW, FEPOW association [Birmingham] running a net every Wednesday at 09.15 on the 80m band

FEPOW net on 3.627 Mhz at 09:15 [local UK time] every Wednesday

MTB 12 being hoisted.

Photo from the Ross and Collingwood family collections ©

MTB 12 during sea trials at HMS Vernon in the UK 1938 ©

Photo from Lt E M (Mickey) Thorpe RN ©

MTB 12 at HMS Vernon 1938

Photo from Lt E M (Mickey) Thorpe RN ©

MTB 12 in the Kowloon Camber

Photo from the Ross collection ©

MTB 12 on the rocks

Photo from Lt CJ Collingwood's collection ©