The Escape of the 2nd MTB Flotilla

Waichow to Liucheng

 

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traveling by Sampans towed by charcoal burning motorized Tunks 150 miles up the East River from Waichow to Liucheng. The Tunks were breaking down constantly and eventually they did away with the Sampans.

 

 

 

 

Photo from Freddie Guest's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The route from Nan'ao to Waichow led through some of the roughest terrain imaginable.

Waichow

 

 

 

 

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back: Christiansen M.N,   A/B Pawley, A/P.O.Hide R.N, Ross B.M.I,  P.O. Dyer, W.O. Wright H.K.R.N.V.R, Cox-Walker M.N, P.O. Stonell R.N,  C.P.O.Thums R.N,   P.O. Tel Meadows,  Brazel M.N,   Gurd,   Arnold,   Hempenstall,  McQueen,  Foster,   Quixell

3rd: Halliday M.N, Marchant M.N, Skinner M.N,  Holmes,   Whatley,   Brogden,  A/P.O. Priestley R.N,   Kelly,   Downey,   Holt,  Evans,  Purchase,  Rutter,  Penny,  P.O. Moore R.N,  Thorpe, Barker,  Schillemore,  Carr,  Hill,  Charleson,  Burrows,  Raun,  Deatin, Gavaghan?,  Pony Moore.

2nd: Capt Macmillan R.A, Supt Robinson I.P, Sq-Ldr Oxford R.A.F, Lt Pittendrigh R.N.R, Lt Ashby R.N.V.R, Lt Collingwood R.N, Lt-Cmdr Gandy  R.N,  Cmdr Montague R.N,  Adm Chan-Chak, Lt-Gen Wong, Lt-Gen Chen, Lt-Cmdr Yorath R.N, Maj Goring H.Q. Staff, Capt Guest 1st Mdlx, Lt Parsons R.N.V.R, Lt Kennedy R.N.V.R.

1st: Sub-Lt Gee, Maj-Gen Fu, Mr Ow Young, Coxswain Yeung Chuen, Lt-Cdr Hsu Heng,  Maj-Gen Tung,  Sub-Lt Legge R.N.V.R,  Sub-Lt Brewer R.N.V.R.

 

 

Ready to March

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

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the March

 

Photo from Lt Ron Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Escape party marching past a welcome banner into Shaoguan [Kukong]

 

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Admiral is feted on arrival in Kukong

 

 

 

The Chinese favour pinned to the escape party's lapels on arrival in Kukong

 

Buddy Hide's Chinese Favour

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mission

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Welsh Mission in Kukong where Admiral Chan Chak was operated on to remove the bullet he had been carrying since Hon Kong and have a blood transfusion due to infection..

 

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If we are not going up we are going down and if not down then up

 

Admiral Chan Chak

 

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Admiral Chan Chak being féted in Kukong

 

 

 

Photo from Admiral Chan Chak's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gen Chiang, David MacDougall, Cmdr Montague, Gen Yu Han Mow, Admiral Chan Chak, Lt-Col Owen Hughs, & Gen Wong in Kukong

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ted Ross and David MacDougall, both of the Ministry of Information arrive in Kukong. David came back to Hong Kong in 1945 as Brigadier Colonial Secretary and accepted a Japanese sword on their surrender..

 

 

 Stoker A/B Jack Thorpe ?? and P.O.Charly Moore

 

 

 

 

 

The strain of the journey shows as the Royal Navy Matelots disembark from the Red Cross Trucks at Shaoguan

 

 

 

Lofty Gurd, Bill Schillemore, John Pawley

 

Al Rutter, Guerrilla Leader Liang Yung Yuan, Buddy Hide, & George (Bones) Arnold disembarking from their truck at Shaoguan [Kukong].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kweiyang

 

 

 

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The escape party at Kweiyang

 

The Burma Road; Kunming to Lashio

 

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enduring the treacherous conditions of the Burma road in the Red Cross trucks from Kweiyang

 

 

Lt Ashby's surprise

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lt Ron Ashby had worked for Dodwell & Co in Hong Kong prior to the war and was surprised when the trucks commandeered at Wantung were Dodwell's. From here they used the trucks to cross the border into burma and on to Lashio where they had a five day wait for a train.

 

 

 

 

Photo from Lt Ashby's collection

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SS Heinrich Jessen later commandeered & re-named HMIS Barracuda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heinrich Jessen Was the last ship to leave Rangoon, sailing out with members of the 2nd MTB Flotilla from Hong Kong through the Japanese war ships coming in. She was also the last ship to leave Singapore. Renamed HMIS Barracuda she served as a depot ship on the Arakan coast with Cmdr Ron Ashby.

HMIS Barracuda was the first ship back into Both Singapore and Rangoon after the Japanese surrender in 1945.

More to follow