Escape from Hong Kong

Escape from Hong Kong - Waichow

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Run the curser over to identify members of Admiral Chan Chak's Royal Navy Body-guard at Waichow on the morning of Tuesday 30th December 1941

Run the curser over & click to identify Gandy's Guerrillas in Waichow. and read their profile Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Cmdr Hugh M Montague, Senior Naval Officer Aberdeen & on the escape ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt-Cmd G H Gandy R.N. C/O MTB 10 & Flotilla with a drawn revolver pointing over ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt-Cmd Hsu Heng (Henry) ROC holding his camera; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker P.O. Buddy Hide of MTB 07 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Ted Ross of the Ministry of Information ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Coxswain Leading Seaman: William A Schillemore [MTB 09] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © L/S Albert C AKA Ernie/Pony] Moore MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Francis [Frank] Edwin Penny of MTB 09 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © P.O. Stoker: Robert. H. Stonell [MTB 11] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © C.P.O.: Gilbert Thums known by all as Tom Thums [HMS Cicila & acting No 2 of MTB 10] Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © P.O. Tel: Christopher Meadows [MTB 10] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Leslie [Lofty] Gurd [MTB 09] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Stoker George [Bones] Arnold [MTB 07] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Robert Hempenstall [MTB 09] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt Alexander Kennedy of MTB 09 ; Author of Hong Kong Full Circle 1939 - 1945 Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt Tommy M Parsons HKRNVR MTB 27 Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © S-Lt Tommy Brewer [MTB 09] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © S-Lt David Pauncefoote Legge [MTB 11] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Acting P.O.Stoker: Ronald J C (Jez) Priestley [MTB 09] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © L/S Leslie S Barker [MTB 11] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Stoker Jack Thorpe [MTB 11] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Tel Harold P Hill of MTB 09 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Coxswain Yeung Chuen was at Admiral Chan Chak's side at all times as his body guard ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © White Ensign with the Nationalist Chinese flag Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker A/B: Albert Leonard Downey [MTB 11] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Charles Skinner MS Escaped on C410 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Charles S Deakin MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Acting Petty Officer Alfred Burrows MTB 11 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker A/B Leonard A Rarn MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Norman Halladay HKRNVR Skiff to MTB's from Aberdeen with Lt-Cdr Yorath ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A. Marchant HKRNVR Escaped on C410 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Cadet Holger E K Christensen HKRNVR Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B John Pawley MTB 07 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © P.O. William C Dyer MTB 10 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Warrant-Officer Bill Wright HKRNVR ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © E Cox-Walker HKRNVR Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Capt Peter Macmillan R.A. ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Bill Robinson [Indian Police Intelegence] ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Squadron Leader Max Oxford RAF wearing Lt Pittendrigh's cap Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt A Pittendrigh RNR ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt R R W Ashby HKRNVR MTB 07 Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Alexander Kelly MTB 11 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt C J Collingwood DSO RN MTB 11 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Lewis.R. Whatley MTB 11 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Tel: Raymond Brogden MTB 10 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Bruce The Ships dog Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Sub-Lt Gee HKRNVR MTB 07 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © L/St: Charles Evans MTB 07 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Albert E Rutter MTB 07 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © S.P.O.: Charles H Moore MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt-General Wang Dafu ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Edmund H Brazel HKRNVR Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B John [Jack] Holt MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt-General Chen Qi ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Lt-Cmd John Humphrey Yorath RN (XDO staff) ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Major Arthur Goring attached to General's staff at HQ ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Capt Reginold [Freddie]Guest HQ staff ; Author of Escape from the Blooded Sun & Indian Cavalryman Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker P.O. Samuel Carr MTB 10 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © A/B: Eddy J Charleson MTB 10 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © L/Tel: Steve Cavaghan MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Maj-Gen Tong ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Maj-Gen Yu ; Photo from Mr Au Yeung ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Tel: Anthony McQueen MTB 27 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker A/B: Charles Foster MTB 09 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker A/B: Fred Quixall MTB 10 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection © Stoker A/B: Kenneth Holmes MTB 11 ; Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

Adm Chan Chak with his "Lo Hons" and Chinese Officials at the "Wai On hospital complex" run by the Seventh Day Eventist in Waichow on 30th December 1941: Photo from Buddy Hide's collection ©

Back:Christensen,Pawley, Hide, Ross, Dyer, Wright, Cox-Walker, Stonell, Thums,  Meadows,  Brazel,  Gurd, Arnold, Hempenstall,  MacDougall, McQueen,  Foster,  Quixall

3rd: Halladay, Marchant, Skinner,  Holmes,   Whatley,   Brogden ,  A/P.O. Priestley ,   Kelly ,   Downey ,   Holt,  Evans,  Purchase ,  Rutter,  Penny,  P.O. Moore ,  Thorpe, L/S Barker,  Schillemore,  Carr,  Hill,  Charleson,  Burrows,  Rann, Deakin, Gavaghan,  Moore.

2nd: Capt Macmillan, Supt Robinson, Sq-Ldr Oxford, Lt Pittendrigh, Lt Ashby, Lt Collingwood, Lt-Cmd Gandy,  Cdr Montague,  Adm Chan-Chak, Lt-Gen Wang Dafu , Lt-Gen Chen Qi, Lt-Cmd Yorath , Maj Goring, Capt Guest, Lt Parsons , Lt Kennedy.

1st: Bruce [Ships Dog], Sub-Lt Gee , Maj-Gen Fu , Mr Au Yeung, Coxswain Yeung Chuen, Lt-Cmd Hsu Heng (Henry),  Maj-Gen Tung,  Sub-Lt Legge ,  Sub-Lt Brewer .

The White Ensign had been saved from the scuttling and was draped alongside the Chinese Nationalist flag.

 

 

The 12 survivors of the Cornflower launch party

 

The Cornflower Escape party at Waichow 30th Dec 1941 Run the curser over individuals to identify them. Photo from the Ross family collection ©

 

 

 

 

Click here to view in Google Maps; at what is now called The Third Peoples Hospital of Huizhou by the junction of BinJiang E Road and Huangjiatang Street. Photo from the Ross family collection ©

Back: Supt Bill Robinson , W-O Wright, Capt Peter Macmillan,Capt Reginold Guest, Coxswain Leung Chuen, Ted Ross

2nd: David MacDougall, Adm Chan Chak, Major Goring, Squadron Leader Max Oxford

1st: Cadet Holger Christensen, Lt Cdr Henry Heng Hsu





















The four who were wounded, killed, captured or escaped seperately

Alexis DamsgaardJJ ForsterDouglas HarleySK Yee

Alexis Damsgaard wounded POW. JJ Forster died of wounds. D Harley wounded/drowned. SK Yee escaped seperately

 



Senior Sino-British navy officers and nursing staff at Waichow ©


Senior Sino-British Naval officers with nursing staff at Waichow

Back Row: Lt Kennedy RNVR, Lt-Cmd Hsu Heng (Henry) ROC, Lt-Cmd Gandy RN (Rtrd), Lt-Cmd Yorath RN (Rtrd), Cdr Montague RN (Rtrd), Lt Parsons HKRNVR, HKRNVR, Lt Collingwood< RN,

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

 

 


The escape party left Aberdeen in HMS Cornflower's launch down Aberdeen South channel where they were shot up by the Japanese from Pill Box 12 and Brick Hill. Colonel Yee Shiu Kee could not swim and stayed on the launch along with the badly wounded Captain Damgaard. Both survived after spending the night drifting in the launch. Yee Shiu Kee escaped with the help of local fishermen to China. Damgaard, whowas shot through both legs survived the war. Forster JJ. and D Harley [2nd Engineer SS Yatshing] were both shot and killed.

HMS Cornflower's ships crest mounted in the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club on what was formerly Kellett Island

Personnel on the Escape:

MTB 07

MTB 09

MTB 10

MTB 11

MTB 27

Service number prefix:

C = Chatham
D = Devonport
P = Portsmouth

C.410 Berthing Tug Polly

Skiff to MTB's

Escape Launch of HMS Cornflower II

S.O.E.

  • Kendall Francis W [Mike] Head of Recce Unit H.K.V.D.C.
  • *** McEwan Colin M [ 238278 ] MBE H.K.V.D.C. Captain Returned to Hong Kong Post War
  • *** Talan/Jalan Emmanuel Monia (John) [ 238166 ] MBE H.K.V.D.C. Captain. Returned to Hong Kong Post War
  • *** Lt-Colonel Harry Owen-Hughes, British/Chinese liaison officer in China. Returned to Hong Kong Post War
  • *** = Contact with descendents/family

Citations posted in The London Gazette 1942 For daring and resource in Far Eastern waters and the escape:

K.B.E. [Military] Chan Chak; Vice Adm ROC (Only one previous Chinese national had ever gained this most prestigious award.) [62]

C.B.E. Yee Shiu Kee; Colonel CPA.[62]

M.B.E. McEwan Colin M; S.O.E.

O.B.E. Montague Hugh Monthermer; Cdr R. N. (Retd) Hsu Henry Heng; Lt-Cmd ROC.[62]


D.S.C. Ashby Ronald Robert Wilson; Lt H.K.R.N.V.R. Wright William Morley; Warrant-Officer H.K.R.N.V.R.

King's Medal for Courage in the Cause of Freedom Leung Wingyuen

Mention in Despatches:

Duckworth,Tom Greenwood; Telegraphist R. N. P/JX202851. [Posthumous]
Montague Hugh Monthermer; Cdr R. N. Retd.
Gandy Gerard Horace; Lt-Cmd R. N. Retd.
Collingwood Cuthbert John; Lt R. N.
Kennedy Alexander; Lt R.N.V.R.
Pittendrigh Arthur; Lt R.N.R.
Thums Gilbert; Chief Petty Officer RN D/J.96352
Prest John William; Petty Officer R. N. P/JX128494.
Hide Stephen John; Petty Officer R. N. P/KX82873.
Priestley Ronald John Charles; Petty Officer R. N. P/KX81900.
Stonell Robert Henry; Petty Officer R. N P/KX.80217
Schillemore William Arthur; Leading Seaman R. N. P/JX142194.
Rutter Albert Edward; Able Seaman R. N. D/JX.134658
Christensen Holger; Cadet M. N.

16th December 1941 IJA Bomb

MTB 08

Bush, Lewis William; Sub-Lieutenant HKRNVR; PoW

Elliot; Stoker

*** Hughieson, Jack H; Telegraphist P/WRX456

*** Kilbee,Laurence Dudley, Lieutenant HKRNVR: PoW

MacGinness; Stoker

Mitchell W; P.O. Coxwain PoW

19th December 1941 MTB action

MTB 07

MTB 12

MTB 26

*** = Contact established with descendents/family

Click here to apply for service records of family member's.

 

 

Research and web publication by Buddy Hide Jnr ©

The contents of this web site led to a considerable number of escapee families contacting me and now each other, and remains the principle source of contact and private information for the spin off projects that have followed. The personal accounts enabled me to record the complete and true account of this remarkable episode of Sino-British war time co-operation. The information compiled here has directly resulted in a museum exhibition in Hong Kong, a re-enactment of the escape in Hong Kong and China, with a movie drama and documentary in the making.

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Music; Wild China by  Barnaby Taylor and performed by Cheng Yu and the UK Chinese Ensemble