Not the Slightest Chance: The Defence of Hong Kong, 1941

Acknowledgements

Firstly, to six people without whom this work could not have been completed in its current form: David Roads, ex-journalist and intelligence man, who once told me he was one of the few US Marines to have fought the Japanese in all five major campaigns. He would be worth a book in his own right. Part Native American, he also married a Miss Philippines, and took a dollar off Al Capone as a youngster. David (I knew him for three years before he told me his surname) could find me anything. I once asked him if there was any way that I could get hold of original copies of the South China Morning Post for the period 8–25 December 1941. The next day he invited me for lunch at the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club (of which he was twice president) and handed me a package of newspapers tied in twine. They were the papers I had asked for, wrapped in no less than three copies of the first South China Morning Post to have been published after the liberation in 1945. Unfortunately, I had to photocopy them and hand them back, as David needed to return them whence they came — he wouldn’t tell me where, of course — by noon the following day. Richard Hide, son of the stoker of MTB 07, whom I met through his excellent web site covering the topic of the Motor Torpedo Boats’ escape. Acknowledgements 未命名598 xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Dick has been a mine of information and has put me in touch with several survivors of the fighting or their descendants. His web site was responsible directly or indirectly for many of the contacts described below. Anne Ozorio, a staunch member of Hong Kong’s Portuguese community, who lost several relatives during the war. Anne has been instrumental in tracking down many important records in the UK on my behalf, including vital documents from the Kew Public Records Office and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. This book would have been less comprehensive, by an order of magnitude, without her invaluable assistance. Professor James ‘Jimmy’ Cummins, executor of Major Charles Boxer’s will and long-time friend of Charles and ‘Mickey’, who put me in touch with many survivors in London and elsewhere and was a delight to correspond with throughout. Ian Quinn, a Cathay Pacific pilot and an expert in the American bombing raids on Hong Kong from 1943 to 1945, who hopes to be publishing a book on that subject. Ian often took time out from his own researches to aid mine, and provided much useful information from local sources. H. W. ‘Bunny’ Browne, CBE. Of all the veterans I have corresponded with, Bunny has been the most prolific. His memory of events and people sixty years ago has been of enormous assistance. The second group are survivors (although several, sadly, have not lived to see the book in print) of the December 1941 fighting, who answered questions, provided documents, and generally aided the author: Borge Agerbak (Winnipeg Grenadiers), Barbara Anslow (ARP), Dr Solomon M. Bard (HKVDC Field Ambulance), Gloria Barretto (NAAFI), Professor Brian Baxter (HKDDC), Bill Bethell (schoolboy), George Bristow (Royal Navy), H. E. ‘Bunny’ Browne CBE (HQ China Command), Landon Burch (2 Coy HKVDC, and the son of ‘Pop’ Burch of the HKVDC Hughes Group), Phil Doddridge (Royal Rifles), E. H. Field (Royal Artillery), Pat Fallon (HKVDC Field Ambulance), James Ford MC (Royal Scots), Arthur Gomes MBE (5 Coy. HKVDC), Albert Haines (HKDDC), Major F. S. C. Hancock (Hong Kong Mule Corps), John Harris (Royal Engineers), ‘Buster’ Hollands (HKVDC), Dick Hooper (Royal Artillery), Drummond Hunter (Royal Scots), L. D. Kilbee (HKRNVR), Tom Middleton (Royal 未命名598 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xv Navy), Raymond ‘Ron’ Parry (Royal Navy), David Parsons (Z Force), Sir Albert Rodrigues (HKVDC Field Ambulance), Roger Rothwell (Middlesex and HQ China Command), Edward Shayler (Winnipeg Grenadiers), Raymond A. Smith (Royal Rifles), Steve Smith-Dutton (Royal Artillery), Ralph Stephenson (RNVR), Osler Thomas (HKVDC Field Ambulance, BAAG, and Force 136), Jim Wakefield (Royal Engineers), Geoffrey Wilson (Hong Kong Police), and Michael Wright (3 Bty. HKVDC). The third group are descendants of members of the 1941 garrison: Rowena and Lauren Avery (daughter and granddaughter of Archibald Drover, Royal Rifles), Les Bowie (stepson of Sgt. Parkin, RAMC), Pam Broadhead (daughter of Cpl. John Marriott, RE), Isabella Cooper (daughter of James McHarg Miller, Royal Scots), Dr A. E. Dormer (sonin -law of W. R. N...