HMS Amethyst - Yangste River 19/4/49 to 31/7/49
Extracts from the Private log of Acting Petty Officer L.
Frank (Coxswain)
June 16th until June 30th
 Thursday 16th June
Tonight has been the exact opposite to last night. The Captain
cleared lower deck and gave us the outline of yesterdays
meeting. And taking all points it seems to have got just about
as far as any of the previous ones. Col. Kang will not go to
Nanking or Shanghai for any meetings, they must be held here.
The Captain drove home to Col Kang at last, that a person with
the rank of an Admiral in the Royal Navy, who is also the
Commander-in-Chief of the Far Eastern Station is not in the
habit of falsifying statements, and that if Col. Kang was not
prepared to apologise to the Admiral or come to some other
arrangement, he, the Admiral would have nothing more to do with
Col. Kang through these channels. Actually in so many words it
meant a win for us in this round, because he is allowing Captain
Donaldson the Naval attaché at Nanking to represent the British
Navy in the these talks now, with of course the Admirals
permission. It seems that Kang definitely does not want to go to
a higher level, for the very simple reason that if he cannot
deal with it himself here and come to some agreement soon, he
might possibly have to go. When told about the hardship and
discomfort he is causing to the Ships Company of HMS Amethyst,
he said that he had at various times offered to help the ship in
various ways. He has granted the Boy with suspected broken arm a
safe passage with the doctor to Chin Kiang for an x-ray. As for
our mail which is waiting for us in Shanghai, he is getting in
touch with the foreign Bureau to see what they are doing about
it. The interview was rather stormy. After it was over and they
brought the Captain and interpreter back to the ship, they took
a trip round the ship having a look at the damage they had done.
This is the first time that Col. Kang has been anywhere near the
ship.
Friday 17th June
Captain today sent a letter to Col Kang asking when it would be
convenient for the Boy with the broken arm to go for his x-ray,
as the Doctor thinks this should be done now. Well this evening
we had a real bit of excitement our first for days, a large
passenger steamer came down river, passed by us and then turned
and proceeded back up river until it got abreast of Amethyst,
and then dropped anchor, this being the first vessel to anchor
anywhere near here, since we arrived. One other item, the
battery off our port bow seem to have evacuated, as when this
ship anchored, there was not a soldier in sight on the cliff and
usually when any ship goes up or down river there is about 50 of
them and the guns are manned. That is all for today but will ascertain
the name of the ship at daylight tomorrow.
Saturday 18th June.
The China Steam Navigation Co's passenger ship "Ming
Ling" left at daybreak and proceeded up river. This is now
our 60th day here, how many more we are likely to stay God alone
knows. This evening we saw the largest cargo vessel yet to
proceed either up or down river, a vessel of about four thousand
tons, and loaded right down to her plimsoll mark, she was
drawing 27 ft of water. Also she appeared to be taking no
chances whatever with the Communist battery's or the national
air force, as she was heavily protected with sand bags around
the bridge and had small trees at the mast head and yardarms,
top of the bridge - funnel and what is thought on ship to be the
most vulnerable points open to air-craft. Shortly after this a
fully laden oil tanker passed by, how we wished that she would
come alongside, as things are now beginning to get very
uncomfortable, with no lights or anything for 24 hours about and
it is going to be much worse before long. The Captain went
ashore for an interview, Col. Kang wanted to know if the C-in-C
had appointed a deputy yet? But the Captain with true diplomatic
forethought answered, it is being considered, although we knew
even then that Capt. Donaldson had already been appointed, if he
was required. Boy Horton can have an x-ray Monday.
Sunday 19th June
Uneventful and quiet night. This looks as if it may develop into
the hottest day we have had so far, as it is really hot now at
10:00 hours. Owing to there being no lights or fans on the mess
deck, Church was held at 11:00 hours on the Quarter-Deck at
which Lt K.S. Hett read the lesson. It did turn out to be our
hottest day and we knew it alright.
Monday 20th June
We had a new thing happened to us today, will it is new so far
as we are concerned. The Ships Company aired their bedding, as
it was a lovely day, and of course depending on what bedding
they have? - Then we had a medical inspection by our RAF doctor,
thank heavens that he got onboard here, but what a time to spend
here with us, still we are all most grateful to him (Flt Lt
Fearnley RAF) for everything he has done to keep us all in good
health. We are having a damage control course for the boys and
this morning the Captain gave the introduction speech to
commence the course. It is now two months since we ran into this
trouble of ours and up to now we look like remaining another
two?
The Captain went ashore at the request of the Gen. General
Yuan Chung-Hisen for a meeting at CPLA HQ's at Chin-Kiang,
apparently the meeting although on cordial terms, was not
entirely satisfactory, although for about the first time there
is a ray (small) of hope beginning to gleam from behind that
dark 'Iron Curtain'. The Gen. Will allow our mail to come
through, but how it comes is up to Shanghai entirely, that is a
true picture of this CPLA no one wants the responsibility of
making a decision on their own.
Boy 1st Class S. Horton went ashore for an x-ray this evening
and returned by boat from Chin Kiang later this evening.
Tuesday 21st June
Weather very hot indeed, certainly later it proved to be the
hottest day so far. Two ratings today caught the sun and for
their trouble got a slight attack of diarrhoea and a very high
temperature.
Wednesday 22nd June
Dawn broke nice this morning, after a quiet night cuckoo still
singing and a nice steady breeze, but what it will develop into
is hard to tell up the Yangtze. The interpreter is going ashore,
but as yet the Captain has not said what for. Later p.m. the
Captain wet ashore for a meeting, which by all accounts was a
huge success, in fact it was the first meeting at which the talk
had been really straight throughout. The General agreed to our
mail being sent from Shanghai, addressed to him at his HQ in
Chin Kiang, and he would have it collected and sent to the ship
by boat.
Thursday 23rd June
Captain cleared lower deck for a talk on the outcome of
yesterdays meeting. The Gen. Very pointedly said that he could
not even think of a merchant ship coming from Hong Kong to
replenish us with fuel and stores. But if the C-in-C would send
to him (the Gen) a letter or signal stating that the British
Warship (singular) had entered the CPLA battlefront
indiscriminately we could proceed down river or at least he
would consider it. The Captain finished his talk by saying that
I, The Coxswain would accompany him to the next meeting.
Friday 24th June
A lot cooler today. Mr. Leo with one unofficial Chinese laundry
boy has gone ashore with the intention of possibility of
collecting our mail, which has been despatched through the
Shanghai Postal Services. He will stay ashore until it does
arrive at Ching Kiang. The usual amount of river traffic
operating, in spite of the Nationalist bombing outrage and
statement that they are blockading all Communist held ports from
now on. The first ship we have seen during the night passed by
at 02:45 this morning. The mail did arrive at midnight. I got a
rude awakening to sort it out.
Saturday 25th June
Great rejoicing today, everyone talking about the different
accounts of our encounter with the Communist battery, and
re-reading of mail. Mr. Leo went ashore with a letter from
Captain to Col Kang and he had to stay ashore all night owning
to the weather. The mail which we received last night was the
first for 70 days.
Sunday 26th June
What a night, after shutting down, we had to flash up again at
01:00 as the weather got so bad. We received the C-in-C's signal
last night in reply to the General, and we are all now in high
hopes that Amethyst will soon be allowed to depart. There have
been a lot of false stories in the national papers regarding the
ship. I am afraid that quite a lot of the facts are far from
true. Of course we realise that the people that gave them could
not have the facts really clear as they themselves had been
through that hell and then gone ashore. We can only hope that
the Admiralty informed our next of kin before these stories
appeared in the national papers? Still very rough, no contact
with shore.
Monday 27th June
Still very rough, but the weather is easing down now. There is
still no contact with shore. Mr. Leo has been ashore since
Saturday. We are now without power until 05:00 on Wednesday
morning, as we have to cut our fuel consumption drastically now
to make it go as far as possible. Our sampan came down river on
the South bank and a soldier got onboard at the usual landing
place, they got half way across and then had to turn back as it
was too rough, with the wind and tide against one another.
Tuesday 28th June
Another rough night, but at least the wind is now dying down.
Mr. Leo and one CPLA soldier came onboard in the fishing junk.
Mr. Leo went ashore again with a letter from the Captain. A very
sad blow today, the Captain is ill and is spending the day in
bed, his illness is due to this very inclement weather, and
dampness of the ship owning to having no power for these 48 hour
periods. We trust that he will soon be about again as without
him we are lost.
Wednesday 29th June
I am very pleased to be able to say that the Captain, is a
little better today and he does expect to be able to go ashore
if there is a meeting. We have flashed up today, until 22:00
this evening. Time certainly marches on, it is now 71 days since
we left Shanghai. Perhaps I shall be able to report more
movement after I have been ashore with the Captain. More
disappointment there will be no meeting today.
Thursday 30th June
Weather is still bad, and so is the Captain. Later no meeting
again today, owing to the General being away from Ching Kiang,
no one seems to know where he is gone. Still raining like hell
but it looks like clearing. This is the last day of the first
half of the year and our 72 day here, I wonder how many more we
are going to have? Captain Tye, political adviser to the Local
Commander came onboard to see the Captain, this morning. After
he had gone the Captain cleared lower deck. The news he gave us
was of the worst, the General will allow us to have the oil down
from Nanking and that is all. There can be no meeting for seven
days owing to the fact that the CPLA are very busy arranging for
7 days of victory parades, which commence tomorrow the 1st July.
So we have to just got to sit here and wait. My own firm believe
is that they are holding us here now so that they use us as
propaganda during the forth coming CPLA week, and that in fact
the General is holding the answer to the Admirals letter till
this is all over? There is just one thing now that is quite
certain and is the fact that they cannot now accuse either our
Captain or the C-in-C of trying to frustrate their efforts to
arrange things for us.
Mr. Leo and the Leading Cook (Chinese) have gone ashore to
meet Mr. Khoong of the ANA staff Shanghai, who is bringing a
parcel of stores for us, including charts and money. Midnight
they have still not returned, although he was supposed to arrive
at 14:00 hours this afternoon.
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