Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

Sub-Lt David Pauncefoote-Legge H.K.R.N.V.R. [MTB 11]

Sub-Lt Legge who had lived and worked in Shanghai and being fluent in Mandarin acted as interpreter during the escape. While they were in Kukong (Shaoguan) he met a young lady who knew his mother, a gymnastics teacher at a school in Shanghai and corresponded with them on the plight of their son. He left the escape party at Kunming and was told to report to the British Embassy in Chungking so flew there with Sub-Lt Gee. "Then I found what a mistake I had made. The Embassy grabbed me without so much as a by your leave and shoved me into their cipher office. There was of course no naval authority to whom I could complain. I was stuck there for two months before I made such a nuisance of myself that they let me out".

He joined the HKRNVR in 1939 and spent three months training in Navigation, Signalling, Seamanship, Mine laying and Gunnery, He was commissioned into the Imperial R.N.V.R. in 1943 and joined the Naval Intelligence Division, Admiralty [HMS President] 1943-1946.

Photos from Buddy Hide's and Davo's collections ©

 

 

Back Row: Lt Kennedy RNVR, Lt-Cmdr Henry Hsu CN, Lt-Cmdr Gandy RN (Rtrd), Lt-Cmdr Yorath RN (Rtrd), Supt Robinson Indian Police, Lt Parsons HKRNVR, Lt Ashby HKRNVR, Lt Collingwood RN,

Front Row: Sub-Lt Gee HKRNVR, Sub-Lt Brewer HKRNVR, Sub-Lt Legge HKRNVR, and nurses at Waichow.

 

 

 

 

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To read more on David click here.

Davo was born in Hayes, Kent, England in 1916, and aged just two months went join his father in Bangalore, India. In 1924 he entered the Heathfield Preparatory School, in Sussex before going to the Cheltenham College Military training school for one year. He then went to the Tonbridge School, Kent, as a day pupil where it also transpired that Lt-Com Yorath RNR (Rtrd) also attended. Upon leaving he emigrated to Shanghhai. Davo passed away aged 90 on the 19 March 2007 in Auburn, California. Davo was a California resident for over 50 years. After long careers with British-American Tobacco and B.O.A.C. (British Airways), he was widowed (no children) and remarried at age 62. Davo was an active boater and traveller, and a docent at California Academy of Sciences in S.F. He became a US citizen at age 64.

 

MTB 11 hit by friendly fire

 

 

MTB 11 being worked up at HMS Vernon after completion in July 1938 & laying depth charges on exercise in 1940

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub-Lt David Legge with the ships dog Brucey.

Photo from Lt C J Collingwood's collection ©

Davo back in China May 2006

Photo from David Pauncefoote-Legge's collection ©

Click here for Sub-Lt D P Legge Obituary







Kweiyang 26th January 1942

 

 

Some of the Officers enjoying a day out in Kweiyang with their female hosts including Dr Lim's 15 year old daughter Effie in the tartan kilt. Sub-Lt Gee & Legge were both brought up in Shanghai and spoke Mandarin.

The officers left to right are Sub-Lt Gee [MTB 07], Sub-Lt Brewer [MTB 09], Sub-Lt Legge [MTB 11], Lt Parsons [MTB 27], & Lt Alexander Kennedy of MTB 09, the author of the privately published book "Hong Kong Full Circle 1939-1945".

Photo from Alex Kennedy's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sub-Lt David P Legge HKRNVR

Photo from the Legge family collection ©