THE ESCAPE OF CAPT I B TREVOR HKVDC.
The escape was made from Shamshuipo from a slipway used for careening sampans, which was not wired. 11.25 p m February 1st the route commenced by creeping along a typhoon wall for some 600 yards, swimming to a point in Shamshuipo Bay opposite a Chinese Sauce factory, and then up Golden Hill and down the Shingmun gorge.
After crossing the river at the bottom, there was a climb over the top of Needle Hill and down Lead Mine Pass, behind the Taipo Market, and along the road to Fanling. From there across Gill’s Cutting, over Bird’s Nest Pass, across the Shataukok Road, and then more climbing over the hills and descending into Lin Ma Hang Village.
Travelled by night and rested and fed by day. Saw dead bodies of the Hongkong defenders in the hills as we passed.
At Lin Ma Hang contacted the village elder who had lived the greater part of his life in Panama. He provided us with food and Chinese clothing and also detailed a guide who took us on to a band of smugglers. After a whole day during which we were interrogated, we were escorted to a Chinese military outpost, and then on to Po Kut on the Chinese section of the railway. Six Japanese outposts were bypassed on the way. Then cautious travel to Li Long by night. Soon afterwards, we were in unoccupied territory and could walk freely by daylight. We made for Ko Nan, 15 miles to the west where we contacted a small guerilla section.
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Gill’s Cutting, over Bird’s Nest Pass,across the Shataukok Road
Merry Christmas!
I just wanted to learn from our modern Hong Kong Map. Where is Gill's Cutting and Bird's Nest Pass?
Many thanks for the help.
Alex
I B Trevor
1118: Far East: Argyle Street Prisoner of War Camp 'N', Hong Kong; Lists of Dead
Captain I B Trevor recorded as "Missing"
Passenger List London to Hong Kong departing 6 September 1929
I B Trevor Crown Agent
Ivan Bernard Trevor 1900-1978
Military Records
First Name: Ivan Bernard
Initials: I
Surname: Trevor
Nationality: African
Rank: Captain
Gazette info and dates: Distinguished Service 16th June 1942; The Military Cross 14th August 1942
Gazette Pages: 2639 (16th June 1942) and 3601 (14th August 1942). Recommendation for award mentioned in London Gazette 18th August 1942 (Source: WO 373/61/912)
Service: Army
Regiment: Hong Kong Volunteers Defence Corps
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First Name: I.B.
Surname: Trevor
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Other Ranks: War Substantive Lieutenant 11/07/1942 Temporary Captain 08/07/1943
Supplementary Information: Specially Employed
Service: British Army
Primary Unit: General List (the General List acts as a holding unit for specialist officers [usually reservists] who have not yet been assigned to a unit)
Secondary Unit: Regular Army Emergency Commission
Seniority Date: 11/04/1942
Source: UK Army List April 1944
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First Name: I.B.
Surname: Trevor
Nationality: British
Fate: Escaped
Date of capture: 25/12/1941
Date of Liberation: 02/02/1942
Information: Railway Operating Cadre
Rank: Captain
POW Camp: Shamshuipo
Duty Location: Hong Kong
Service: British Army
Primary Unit: Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps
Source: Ron Bridge's Collection/British & Imperial Prisoners of War held by the Japanese WWII FEPOW
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Other biographical information:
Birth: 2nd November 1900 Golcar, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
NB. Birth registered as: Bernard Ivan Trevor Trietschel in December quarter of 1900 Huddersfield. Father was Johann Albert Martin Trietschel (1875-1942) and mother was Agnes Howard (1874-19??)
NB. World War I was likely the impetus for exchanging the German surname for a more Anglicized one as the surname changed between the 1911 British Census and a newspaper clipping in 1919
1901 British Census
Living at 1 Moxon Crescent, St Mary, Wakefield, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom 4 month old, wih 25 year old father Martin Trietschel (Clergyman - Church of England) born in Liverpool; and 26 year old mother Agnes Trietschel born in London
1911 British Census
Living at Quarndon Vicarage, Quarndon, Amber Valley, Derby, England, United Kingdom. Martin Trietschel Head 35 Clerk in Holy Orders Liverpool Agnes Trietschel Wife 36 Brixton,Surrey Ivan Trietschel Son 10 Golcar, Yorkshire Geraldine Trietschel Dau 9 Batley,Yorkshire Betty Trietschel Dau 6 Batley,Yorkshire Cecilia Trietschel Dau 3 London Eleanor Trietschel Dau 1 London Petronella Peacock Governess 33 Governess (Domestic) Holland (British by Parentage) Daisy Page Nurse 20 Nurse Domestic Thornton Heath, Surrey Elizabeth Reeves Cook 26 Cook (Domestic) Normanton, Derbyshire
19th June 1919 - "Ivan Bernard Trevor, a clerk, of Bingley was fined 40s, yesterday at that town for driving a motor-cycle to the danger of the public at Eldwick."
Source: Leeds Mercury, page 4, 19th June 1919
Passenger List
He travelled First Class on the ship 'Macedonia' (Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company Limited) and departed London, England on 6th September 1929 and disembarked at Hong Kong. Occupation: Crown Agents. Country of Last Permanent Residence: Details Unknown. Country of Intended Future Pemanent Residence: Left Blank (?England)
Passenger List
Age 47 years, he travelled on the ship 'Capetown Castle' (Union-Castle Mail Steamship Company Limited) and departed Durban, South Afirca and arrived Southampton, England, United Kingdom 14th May 1948 via East London, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. Proposed address in UK: Barclays Bank, Kings Road, Chelsea. Occupation: Civil Servant. Country of Last Permanent Residence: Hong Kong
1951 - in the 1951 December issue of the Hong Kong Police Magazine Vol 1. No. 2, page 6, I.B. Trevor wrote a short piece on the Kowloon-Canton Railway (page 49 in this on-line pdf converted document)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Immigration Card
Admitted temporarily to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 12th May 1952 on passport number 6689 issued by Hong Kong Government 1st October 1951. Was staying at the City Hotel. Marital Status: Married; Parents: John and Agnes Trevor.; Stated born in Yorkshire 2nd November 1900.
Passenger List
Age 51 years, he travelled First Class on the ship 'Oranje' (Nederland Line Royal Dutch Mail) and departed Southampton, England, UK on 28th August 1952 for Singapore (Contract Ticket Number 1023). Last address in the UK was 69 Gloucester Terrace, Lancaster Gate W.2. Occupation: Civil Servant. Country of Intended Future Permanent Residence: Hong Kong
1954 Birthday Honours - He was awarded the C.B.E. (Civil Division). Military Cross, General Manager Hong Kong Railways
1955 September - Australian-Built Diesel Locomotives Enter Service on Hong Kong Railway
Two general-purpose, diesel-electric locomotives built by the Clyde Engineering Co. Pty Ltd., of Granville, NSW, for the British section of the Kowloon Canton Railway, arrived recently in Hong Kong in the vessel “Eastern” and placed in service early in September.
The vessel was met on the arrival by the Australian government Trade Commissioner (Mr. H. C. Menzies) and Mr. I. B. Trevor, C.B.E., M.C., General Manager of the British Section of the Kowloon Canton Railway. A number of press representatives and photographers were also present to record the arrival of the first diesel electric locomotives ever seen in Hong Kong.
Source: extract from Railway Transportation October 1955 Edition
N.B. KCR Locomotive #56 (GE-EMD G-16) was nicknamed 'I.B. Trevor'. Obscure Fact: A trainspotter filmed the antique engine in action in 2007 heading north hauling X923 passing Mong Kok Station to Lo Wu Feight Yard
Wife 1: Florence Lilian Curr (3rd July 1901 Inverell, NSW, Australia-?). Married 10th September 1934 Kensington, London
Engagement: April 1934 (Times Archive 27/04/1934). Mr I B Trevor & Miss Curr A marriage has been arranged between I B Trevor, Hong Kong Civil Service, eldest son of the Rev J M Trevor and Mrs Trevor, St Mary's Wiggenhall, Kings Lynn, and Lilian, eldest daughter of the late C M Curr and Mrs Curr, of Warwick, Queensland.
Wife 2: Nancy (nee?) (1922-2014)
Death: Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom January 1978
Buried: St Margaret and St Andrew's Church, Littleham, Exmouth, Devon, England, United Kingdom
The escape from the POW camp
The escape from the POW camp mentioned Ivan Bernard Trevor (who could speak Cantonese) in this link
...On the night of February 1, 1942, he and two others, Flying Officer Norman Baugh who was later killed in action, and Captain I.B. Trevor, who spoke Cantonese, escaped, swimming across the bay and using a raft to carry their supplies which included food, medicines, a compass and some cash....
Mary Munro (daughter of Major John Munro, who was the escaping companion of I.B. Trevor), author of 'Stranger in My Heart' mentions Captain I.B. Trevor briefly.
The escape was also documented in this blog post from February 2020
The plucky village of Lin Ma Hang gets a mention as being well respected by the District Commissioner Mr. J. Barrow who wrote in a memo in 1951 for praising the village in helping POW Captain Ivan Bernard Trevor escape during WWII despite the suspected stripping of a nearby abandoned lead mine by its inhabitants.
Escape Route
Hi Alex, a belated Merry Christmas to you too! I was not able to locate Gill's Cutting . I think the 1952.1 Map, which contains names and geographic features applicable for the time of the escape, might help identify the escape route beyond Fanling. "---the road to Fanling. From there across Gill’s Cutting, over Bird’s Nest Pass, across the Shataukok Road, and then more climbing over the hills and descending into Lin Ma Hang Village." I wonder if these are in the actual right order.
East of Fanling, there is the Bird's Hill and Bird's Pass (Not Bird's Nest Pass). This would mean that he travelled east-southeast for some distance before turning north and next cut across Sha Tau Kok Road. This route was longer, and the hill's names do not match.
Another plausible route is that he stayed on Sha Tau Kok Road (which runs in the northeast direction) until he reached Ma Mi Ha (56E 27N on 1952.1 map). From there, he took the third class road northbound which took him to Robin's Nest (about 58E 30N, and not Bird's Nest either, but I think it is what the escapee remembered), and the Robin's Nest Pass is just a bit west of the Robin's Nest's peak, finally NNW bound descending into Lin Ma Hang (57E 31N).
Corrections welcome! Regards, Peter
Gill's Cutting
There's a mention of Gill's Cutting in the Annual Report on the Social and Economic Progress of the People of Hong Kong for 1935:
... and between Nam Sha Po and Gill's cutting on the Taipo Market - Fanling Road ...
So that suggests Gill's cutting was along or nearby "the road to Fanling". I think he didn't actually go into Fanling (he'd be avoiding built-up areas where there might be Japanese troops) so the place names are in the right order if he left the road to the south of Fanling and went over Bird's Pass.
Gill's Cutting
Thank you David for the search. I found Nam Shi Po on the 1952.1 map south of Fan Ling. Though the spelling is different, I think both refer to the same spot (about = today's Nam Wa Po). Agreed - not going into Fanling was crucial as were his other decisions during the perilous escape. Regards, Peter