Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

20th Oct 1929 Promoted from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer (with seniority of 13th Oct. 1929).

Max Oxford 27040 Flight Lieutenant to be Squadron Leader (temporary).1st Sept. 1941.

Squadron Leader Max Oxford RAF was invited to join the escape party on Christmas Day 1941 by the commanding officer of the SOE Mike Kendall. Max then approached the GOC Maj-Gen Maltby for permission which was granted along with three other army officers.³¹ Max was with the party onboard HMS Cornflower's launch which was riddled by machine gun fire in Aberdeen South channel. After swimming for his life towards Ap lei Chau (Aberdeen Island) being targeted all the way he fetched up on the rocky beach along with the other survivors. They eventually found the MTBs hiding in a bay on the other side of the island and made good their escape under cover of darkness making landfall at NanAo on the Dapeng Peninsula in Mirs Bay deep behind enemy lines in mainland China.

After a gruelling forced march northwards through enemy lines Max spent the rest of the war as air attaché at the Chungking Embassy where he met his wife to be Audrey, and after a whirlwind romance they were married in January 1944.

 

 

"Max was one of the first wave of British administrators to return to Hong Kong after the Japanese occupation ended in August 1945. He arrived in early October, to manage the restoration of civil air service at Kai Tak airport, and found a territory devastated by war and occupation, but one that would get back on its feet remarkably quickly."

Among other Christmas Day escapees to return were SOE agents Colin McEwan as Head of the Physical training Department and John Talan as a director of a laundry business .David MacDougall as Colonial secretary with Arthur Pittendrigh and Harry Owen-Hughes in his team. Arthur Gee also returned to his pre-war employers as night editor on the China Mail. Admiral Chan Chak became the first post-war mayor of neighbouring Canton.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 MoI.

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

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

Photo from Ted Ross collection ©

 

 

 

 

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