Admiral Chan Chak's wartime escape from Hong Kong

Submitted by Yadilloh on Sat, 01/25/2025 - 20:27

Hi everyone 

I recently completed a short documentary about a wartime escape that will be familiar to many of you.  The documentary is based on Tim Luard's Book: 'Escape from Hong Kong; Admiral Chan Chak's Christmas Day Dash, 1941', picking up the story on the eve of the surrender and focusing on the swim that Chan Chak and an international group of servicemen and civilians undertook under heavy gunfire across Aberdeen Harbour.  I also managed to get some rare footage of motor torpedo boats which may be of interest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5V_vU9TvIs

Would be great to hear if anyone has further information on the escape that hasn't already been covered in the book or the film.

Thanks

Simon

 

   

I enjoyed your documentary, Simon. I like how you wove in Lindzay Chan, Warwick Ross, and Buddy Hide for a "first-person, once-removed" perspective. Nicely done! I understand Warwick was intending to turn the story of the escape into a dramatic movie. Do you know what happened?

Whilst I don't have any further information on the escape itself, I did spot an interesting story that was a consequence of the escape. From my readings (I also referred to the work of Buddy Hide and Tim Luard), I developed a presentation, called From Oblivion to Triumph - How Two Vancouverites Meeting in Free China Changed Canadian History, which I gave in December. Curiously, I discovered that the father of another customer of my barber was friends with Ted Ross, and their families would visit each other when Ted had moved to Australia.

Another astonishing epilogue to the escape, is that after reaching Free China, the MTB crews had to make their way overland to Rangoon, only to reach the city just as the Japanese were invading. That must have been demoralizing.