Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

After 3000 miles travelling overland through China and Burma he arrived in a deserted Rangoon. After five weeks he left onboard the Armed Merchant Cruiser Heinrich Jessen bound for Calcutta along with Lt-Cmdr Gandy, Lt Collingwood, Lt Ashby & Jix Prest, Buddy Hide, Charlie Evans, Al Rutter, John pawley, Jack Holt, Les Barker, Ron Priestley, and others.

Eric returnd to Akyab in Burma on the Heinrich Jessen along with the other Telegraphists with Collingwood and Kennedy.

After six and a half weeks he left Akyab (Sittwe) onboard the five thousand ton British India Steam Navigation Company's " SS Ellenga" bound for Calcutta along with Lt Kennedy and forteen other ratings, and over two thousand refugees crammed on deck.⁹ From Calcutta it was a thirty six hour train journey across the Indian sub-Continent to Bombay where they boarded the Cunarder armed Merchant Cruiser " RMS Laconia" bound for the UK via Cape Town.

Lt Kennedy onboard the 'Larconia' in Cape Town wrote, "The 'Laconia' was followed into harbour by another troopship, the 'Narkunda', and to our surprise Gandy and the other half of the M.T.B. party were on board. The 'Laconia' party received a warm welcome, perhaps not so much as old ship-mates but as extra hands to share duties of guarding the six hundred Italian prisoners-of war being taken to England in the ship". On board the 'Narkunda' the MTB party was almost complete." ^[9] We set sail again on the 19th April, but had to return due to engine trouble. This time we anchored in Table Bay with no ships boats for a run ashore. We finally got under way on the 28th with a ten-day passage to Freetown.

After leaving Freetown they had to sleep fully dressed as they negotiated the U-boat packs in the north Atlantic continuously zigzagging enroute for the UK. Gandy, Ashby, & Kennedy along with 27 ratings finally arrived in the King George V dock, Sheildhall, Glasgow late afternoon on Friday 22^nd May 1942 onboard the "Narkunda".^[15]

Coxswain P.O. John (Jix) Prest with Tel A/B Eric Purchase onboard MTB 07

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

Looks like Buddy Hide and Bones Arnold both seated as some of the crew of MTB 07 get off on a jolly.

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

Bones Arnold leads the intrepid crew of MTB 07 on a jolly.

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

Ron Ashby and crew on patrol in 07

MTB 07 alongside in Mirs Bay

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

A 1/24 scale model of MTB 07 takes to the water in 2009 in memory of Ron Ashby & the crew. MTB 07 on patrol in Hong Kong

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

Photo from C J Collingwood's collection ©

MTB 07 Log entry for 2nd July 1941:

10.36; Dropped depth charges; 9 seconds.

10.40 -11.10; Fishing

MTB 07 on patrol with the 2nd MTB Flotilla in Tathong Channel Hong Kong

Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

Entry from MTB 07's log:

Tues, 21st October 1941.
1804.
Stopped, cut engines to pick up 4 Chinese from smashed and overturned junk. Chinese said they were bound from N of Taishan Bay to Hong Kong with a cargo of sweet potatoes when they were stopped by a Jap trawler, their cargo stolen and themselves beaten before Japs wrecked junk and left them.

1818 Proceeded into Deep Bay.

1828 Stopped to put 4 Chinese on a junk.

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

Hiding in Telegraph Bay

MTB 07 alongside the stone pier with 09 covered in straw and branches hiding from enemy aircraft in Telegraph Bay on the day of the escape, Christmas day 1941. 07 still has a full complement of depth charges on deck.

Photo from Ron Ashby's collection ©

MTBs 07 & 09 hiding at the dairy farm pier in Telegraph Bay on Christmas Day just hours before the escape that evening.