Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours

Stoker Petty Officer Robert. H. Stonell MiD P/KX.80217 Eggham, Surrey

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Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

 

 

Bob took over the wheel after the Coxswain was injured during action while attacking the Japanese invading forces in Kowloon Harbour on the 19th December 1941.

Bob captained the football matches during the escape. At Kukong they played against the local YMCA in Zhongshan Park with a crowd of 2-3000, losing 8-2, the excuse being that the ground, the ball, and opponents were all too small.^[5] He also directed a concert put on by the Escapees in Cape Town described by Kennedy as "course".

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. From Calcutta it was a thirty six hour train journey across the Indian sub-continent to Bombay where they boarded the armed merchant cruiser "Narkunda" bound for Durban where they took onboard 657 Italian POW's before shaping course for 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 two days in Freetown re-victualing the Narcunda shaped course for the UK. A concert called "The Killjoys" had been arranged and organised by Lt-Cdr Gandy, Lt Ashby, PO Stonell, & L/S (Pony) Moore and performed by the combined ships companies onboard of HMTBs, HRT "Narcunda", HMS "Ranchi", "Cilicia," & "Birmingham" on Thursday 15th May 1942. The performers from the MTBs were (Pony) Moore, Al Rutter, & Eddie Charleson. As they headed north frequent life boat drill exercises were carried out and the order to sleep fully dressed was given 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]

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.

 

 

 

 

Loading the torpedos. Each BPB MTB carried two on overhead rails in the engine room. The torpedos faced foreward and were launched through ports in the stern into the flip over gantry rails. The direction of the boat was the direction of the torpedo, so once launched the boat had to veer off to allow the torpedo free way.

Photo from Lt Collingwood's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SPO Stonell on the throtles in the wheelhouse.

 

Photo from Lt Collingwood's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lt C J Collingwood and crew in 1940

Photo from Lt Collingwood's collection ©

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crew of MTB 11.

Back row: A/B Jack Thorpe, PO Rob Stonell ?, A/B Alf Burrows ?, A/B Alex Kelly ?.

Front row: A/B Lew Whatley ?, A/B Ken Holmes ?, A/B ? ?

Photo from Jack Thorpe's colection ©