Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR) Officers
1939-1945

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Note. In naval circles it is custom to refer to the commander of a vessel as Captain. The Navy List bears the phrase "in command".
 Strictly out of practical considerations CO (Commanding Officer) is used here on this site. For some more explanations & abbreviations see the help page.


 
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A      
Ashby,
Ronald Robert Willson
see: RNVR officers' section  

B      
Brewer,
Herbert Ernest
"Tommy"
H.E. Brewer H.E. Brewer
Son of Herbert Edney Brewer, and of Constance Isabel Brewer, of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

1917 ?
-
28.07.1942
(road traffic accident on the A1) [age 25]
[Gillingham (Woodlands) Cemetery, Naval Reservation, grave 1447]
S.Lt.
02.10.1940
T/S.Lt. RNVR
17.07.1942, seniority 02.10.1940
Mention in Despatches MID
20.10.1942
Burma 05.42
(12.1941)
 
 
no appointment listed (served with the Ministry of Information & HM MTB 09 (motor torpedo boat) at Hong Kong; escaped)
(05.1942)


HM ML 1104 (motor launch) (Burma)
17.07.1942
 
 
transferred, RNVR
1942
-
28.07.1942
HMS Drake (RN base, Devonport)
Brown,
Arthur Robert
A.R. Brown
18.06.1889
Grantham, Lincolnshire
-
07.12.1975
Lagos, Portugal
Wt.Offr.
21.10.1938
A/Lt.
1942?, seniority 01.10.1940 (reld 23.04.1946)
05.09.1939
 
 
mobilized
(04.1940)
 
 
no appointment listed
(02.1941)
-
25.12.1941
HMS Tamar III (RN base, Hong Kong) * [in charge of mine watching at one of the island stations and surrendered on Christmas Day 1941]
1941
-
1945
no appointment listed [probably POW in Japanese captivity]
* indexed, but not listed as such
       

C      
Colls,
John Baxter
J.B. Colls
?
-
19.12.1941
(KIA)
[Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 96, column 3]
A/Lt.
02.10.1940
?
-
19.12.1941
Commanding Officer, HM MTB 12 (motor torpedo boat) [HMS Tamar (RN base, Hong Kong)]
       

D      
Divett,
Geoffrey Edward Ross
G.E.R. Divett
(09?).1905
Brentford district, Middlesex
-
1989 ?
[aged 84]
Wt.Offr. 27.04.1940
(12.1941)     no appointment listed (apparently served at APV Stanley)
1941 - 1945 POW in Japanese captivity
Dulley,
Hugh William Macpherson
H.W.M. Dully
Husband of T. Dulley, of Tonbridge, Kent; ... children (one son?).
11.07.1903
Wellingborough, Northamptonshire
-
19.12.1941
Hong Kong
[Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 96, column 3]
Lt. 02.12.1936
Lt.Cdr. 15.06.1940
Mention in Despatches MID 02.07.1946 fall of Hong Kong [posthumously]
Rowed for Great Britain in the 1924 Olympics at Paris.
1939 - 1940 HMPS Perla (Hong Kong)
(04.1940)     no appointment listed
(02.1941) - (12.1941) HMS Tamar III (RN base, Hong Kong?) *
1941     HMAPV St Aubin  (which he took to Aden)
11.1941 - 15.12.1941 First Lieutenant, HMS Cornflower (sloop) (ship sunk by Japanese aircraft near Ceylon)
* indexed, but not listed as such
       

E      
       

F      
Forster,
John Jacob
J.J. Forster
Son of Capt. John Forster, Victoria House, Armagh, Co. Armagh, Northern Ireland.
22.10.1902
[The Netherlands?]
-
25.12.1941
Hong Kong
[Plymouth Naval Memorial, panel 96, column 3]
Prob. Cadet
02.12.1938 [37A]
A/S.Lt. (E)
01.10.1940
Education: The Royal School, Armagh (09.1917-12.1918).
(04.1940)
 
 
no appointment listed
(10.1940)
 
 
no appointment listed
(02.1941)
 
 
no appointment listed
(12.1941)
 
 
no appointment listed
?
-
25.12.1941
Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force Headquarters [HMS Cornflower (reserve drill ship, Hong Kong)]
       

G      
Gee,
Arthur Edwin
see: RNVR officers' section  
       

H      
Haddock,
Joseph Robert
J.R. Haddock
?
-
S.Lt. ?
Lt. ?
Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) MBE 23.07.1946 for outstanding services prior to his capture and devotion to duty whilst a Prisoner of War in the Far East [decoration posted]
      not listed in any wartime Navy Lists
Harriman,
Gilbert Alexander
G.A. Harriman
Third child of Sidney Reeve Harriman (1873-1939), and Caroline Olive Woods (1873-1956).
Married (1924, Hong Kong) Laura Evelyn (1900-); three sons.

10.06.1900
Catford, Lewisham district, London
-
10.05.1981
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Wt.Offr. 18.11.1939
Wt.Offr. (Senior Minewatcher) 01.10.1940 (reld 1946?)
15.03.1919     commissioned (2nd Lt.), Royal Air Force (Flying Branch)
(10.1940) - (12.1941) HMS Tamar III (RN base, Hong Kong) *
      POW in Japanese captivity in Sham Shi Po camp for 3 years, 8 months
08.1945     repatriated to Sydney via HMAS Quiberon
? - 1946? HMS Golden Hind (RN manning depot, Sydney, NSW)
Returned to live in Hong Kong after the war and was a founder member of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Gilbert arrived in Australia with his wife and three sons aboard the Maetsuycker on 20th February 1948 when a short interview was published in a newspaper. He was a member of the Sydney Stock exchange for many years.
* indexed, but not listed as such
       

 
I      
       

J      
       

K      
Kilbee,
Laurence Dudley
L.D. Kilbee L.D. Kilbee
Son of Dudley Richard Kilbee (1880-...), and Louisa Emma Millson (1882-...).
Married Evelyn Grace Martin (died 08.12.2006); one daughter, two sons.

04.06.1914
Barnet district, Greater London / Hertfordshire / Middlesex
-
01.2006
S.Lt. 29.11.1934
Lt. 16.11.1937
Lt.Cdr. 01.11.1951
Cdr. 03.09.1957 (retd early 1960s)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) MBE 09.06.1955 HM's birthday 55: HMS Cornflower

1939-1945 Star

39|45 St - -
Pacific Star Pac St - -
Defence Medal Def M - -
War Medal 1939-1945 WM 39|45 - -
Royal Naval and Royal Marine Forces Volunteer Reserve Decoration VRD ? -
Royal Naval and Royal Marine Forces Volunteer Reserve Decoration VRD ? 1st clasp
?     joined Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force (List II) (later Hong Kong RNVR)
12.02.1940 - 25.12.1941 HMS Tamar (RN base, Hong Kong):
? - ? HM MTB 27 (motor torpedo boat)
? - 16.12.1941 Commanding Officer, HM MTB 08 (motor torpedo boat) (lost in air bombardment)
17.12.1941 - 21.12.1941 Base MTB Officer, Aberdeen Docks, Hong Kong
22.12.1941 - 25.12.1941 First Lieutenant, HM MTB 10 (motor torpedo boat)
25.12.1941 - 1945 POW in Japanese captivity
* indexed, but not listed as such
Knox,
Charles Francis
C.F. Knox C.F. Knox (Photo courtesy of Mr Richard Knox)
C.F. Knox C.F. Knox
C.F. Knox
Son (with two brothers and two sisters) of Richard Urwin Knox (1884-1949), and Charlotte Harkins (1888-1929).
Married Norma Doris Small (08.11.1924 - 13.06.2009); one daughter, one son.
20.06.1919
Dumbarton, Dunbartonshire. Scotland
-
19.12.1993

New South Wales, Australia
A/S.Lt. 02.10.1940
A/Lt. 1946?
(04.1941) - (06.1941) no appointment listed
(08.1941) - (12.1941) HMS Tamar (RN base, Hong Kong) *
25.12.1941 - 02.09.1945 POW in Japanese captivity at Hong Kong Sham Shui Po Camp
* indexed, but not listed as such; at the time of the fall of Hong Kong aboard HMS Frosty (auxiliary patrol vessel)
       

L      
Legge,
David Pauncefoote
see: RNVR officers' section  
       

M      
Morahan,
Bernard Joseph [B]
H.W.M. Dully
(03?).1905
Lambeth district, Greater London
-

A/S.Lt.
08.11.1938
Lt.
15.06.1940
(04.1940)
-
(04.1946)
no appointment listed
 
       

 
N      
Nash,
Walter
W. Nash
?
-

Wt.Offr. (Minewatcher)
25.04.1939
(04.1940)
-
(04.1946)
no appointment listed [captured; POW in Argyle Street Camp]
Nettle,
Percival Edward
P.E. Nettle
?
-

A/S.Lt. 01.10.1940
(12.1941) - (04.1946) no appointment listed
       

O      
       

P      
Parsons,
Thomas Maurice
see: RNVR officers' section  

Q      
       

R      
       

S      
Smalley,
Walter Norman Adams
W.N.A. Smalley
Son of Fred Adams Smalley, timber merchant manager, and Annie Smalley.
Married ((12?).1932, Wandsworth, London) Grace M. Barrett.
Residences: Wandsworth (1920s),
Ashgrove, Berkhampstead (1950s/1970s).

16.09.1899
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
-
25.03.1979

Dacorum, Hertfordshire
Seaman ? [F38286]
A/S.Lt. 01.10.1940
     

Served in RNAS and RAF from Sept. 1917-18 as Air Mechanic II, based on HMS Daedalus (RNAS) and HMS President II. Motor Branch.

Became a “merchant” on the China Coast and HK from 1923 (when first went to Singapore) until 1956 when retired.

(04.1941) - 25.12.1941 no appointment listed [captured while serving at minewatching stations at Hong Kong]
1941 - 1945 POW in Japanese captivity

Stevenson,
Leslie John
L.J. Stevenson
Married 1st (& divorced) ...; two sons.
Married 2nd (Jersey) ...
?
-
1954

Jersey, Channel Islands
Lt. 02.12.1936
Lt.Cdr. 15.06.1940
1940 - 1945 no appointment listed in the Navy List:
? - 15.12.1941 Commanding Officer, HMS Indira (auxiliary patrol vessel)
12.1941 - 1945 POW in Japanese captivity (acting as Senior Naval Officer in a POW camp); returned to the UK via the USA

       

T      
       

U      
       

V      
       

W      
Wright,
William Morley
W.M. Wright (Photo courtesy of Mr Richard Hide) W.M. Wright (Photo courtesy of Mr Richard Hide)

?
-
Wt.Offr. (Minewatcher)
19.07.1939
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
16.06.1942

for skilful and courageous services which enabled a party to make a daring escape from Hong Kong

(12.1941)
 
 
no appointment listed
?
-
12.1941
possibly borne on the book of HMS Robin (river gunboat) (captured at Hong Kong)
12.1941
-
1945?
POW in Japanese captivity
       

X      
       

Y      
Young,
Patrick Elliott
P.E. Young
Son (with two brothers and one sister) of Cyril Roe Muston Young (1881-1955), and Gertrude Annie Elliott (?-1994), of Braunton, North Devonshire.
Married (14.05.1946) Sadie Reid Beattie, daughter of Laurence Beattie; three daughters, one son.

06.03.1917
Shanghai, China
-
02.2016 still alive in Oregon, USA
S.Lt. 02.10.1940
Education: Elizabeth College, Guernsey.
Stenographer for the Canadian Pacific Steamship Co.
1941 - 1945 no appointment listed in the Navy List:
12.1941 - 1945 POW in Japanese captivity
Took a job with the Shanghai Shipping Company. Young International Sales FL, Niedermeyer Martin, Portland, Oregon, USA 1976–91 (ret).
His brother writes: "He was given command of APV "Perla" which was a minesweeper. The Perla was sunk by the Japanese and he ended up in Argyle St camp for the duration of the war."

       

Z      
       


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