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ROUND ROBIN Dear Editors, No doubt as we approach the 20th April, 2009 the news media throughout the United Kingdom will be picking up and reporting on events marking the 60th Anniversary of the first major incident of conflict from the ending of the second world war. I am of course, referring the 1949 Yangtze Incident, when on the 20th and 21st April 1949 four Royal Navy warships, H.M.S Amethyst, Consort, London and Black Swan, got caught up in Chinas, ensuing civil war, the humane cost in the four ships was 46 killed and 68 seriously wounded. One event in particular to mark the 60th Anniversary of the 1949 Yangtze Incident is being held within H.M.S. Collingwood, at Fareham, near Portsmouth, where a small group of guests from the four ships associations, namely Amethyst, Consort, London and Black Swan, will gather on the 23rd April 2009. Members of the fifth ships association that were involved in the Yangtze or Amethyst Incident, 30th and 31st July 1949 are not included on the H.M.S. Collingwood, guest list, I am of course, referring to H.M.S. Concord, and those who served on that ship when on the 30th July 1949 the Commander-in-Chief, Far East Station, Admiral Sir E. J. Patrick Brind, K.C.B., C.B.E. ordered H.M.S. Concord, to enter Chinese territorial waters namely the Yangtze Kiang, and there after to proceed to a location on the river to purposely train the ships armament on the Woosung Forts, in readiness to respond in the event of H.M.S. Amethyst, being fired upon while passing that sector on the river. The orders of Admiral Brind, were carried out to the letter and from the time of picking up H.M.S. Amethyst, on the River Yangtze, just above the Woosung Forts, Concord, covered and escorted the Amethyst, down river and out to sea. When both ships were clear of Chinese territorial waters, and rejoined the Royal Navy Fleet, of ships stationed there in readiness, covering the Yangtze Estuary, it was then that of H.M.S. Concord, was stopped by H.M.S. Cossack, with Captain (D) of the Far East Station on board, and it was then that H.M.S. Concord, was boarded for the purpose of taking the ships log covering the 30th and 31st July 1949 out of commission. Thereafter H.M.S. Concord, was sent to patrol the northern cost of China. Concord’s, ships compliment at that time were silenced under the Official Secrets Act, and sworn not to relate to events covering the 30th and 31st July, on the ships return to Hong Kong. (2) On the 22nd December 1945 the Commander-in-Chief, Far East Station, wrote in a SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY, that which I now Quote; * “On the 20th April, 1949, H.M.S. “Consort” was ordered to proceed from Nanking to assist H.M.S. “Amethyst”, then lying partially disabled and aground on the Yangtze Kiang after being shelled by guns of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army. When approaching H.M.S. “Amethyst”, H.M.S. “Consort” came under heavy fire from the shore batteries and was unable to stop close to her. She 5therefore passed on downriver, stopped, and engaged the Communist batteries. H.M.S. “Consort” then closed H.M.S. “Amethyst”, but again came under heavy and accurate fire. Although gallantly handled and well fought, H.M.S. “Consort” received such serious damage and casualties that her Commanding Officer, when within half a mile of H.M.S. “Amethyst”, decided to withdraw to avoid his ship becoming completely disabled. Throughout the entire period under fire, the bearing and conduct of all on board were in accordance with the highest traditions of the Service. In addition to those who have already received recognition for their services from His Majesty the King, the names of the following officers and men of H.M.S. “Consort”, have been brought to my notice, and I commend them for their courage and devotion to duty. Similar “Special Orders of the Day” have been issued for H.M.S. “London”, “Black Swan” and “Amethyst”.* Unquote. As can be seen, no where within that special order of the day is there any reference to, or mention of H.M.S. Concord, however within the last paragraph of those Special Orders of the Day, Admiral Brind, is seen to state that which I now quote, * “In addition to those who have already received recognition for their services from His Majesty the King” *Unquote. That no doubt is an inference and reference to the “1949 Yangtze Campaign Medal” that was awarded when the findings of the November, 1949 H.D. Committee responsible for the Granting of Honors, Decorations and Medals, placed their findings before His Majesty the King. In order to qualify for the 1949 Yangtze Campaign Award, one days service was all that was required within the campaigns continuous service date’s which were from, the 20th April 1949 until the 31st July 1949. By example; H.M.S. Consort, qualified 20th April 1949. (1) days service H.M.S. London and Black Swan, qualified 21st April 1949. (1) days service H.M.S. Amethyst, qualified 20 April 1949 to 31st July 1949 (101) days service. (3) On the 20th January, 2006. Rear Admiral, Sir David Scott, RN passed away but sometime prior to his demise, on three separate occasions he deposited his naval papers and other memorabilia including newspaper cuttings, letters and naval signals covering the Amethyst Incident, of 30th and 31st July 1949. Within the Churchill College Archives, Cambridge. Those items are documented under the reference; DKNS I 1/3 Due to the importance, of the items documented under the reference; DKNS I 1/3. I requested of the Livingston, Member of Parliament, Jim Devine, that he present on my behalf a Public Petition, To The House Of Commons, either by reading it out to the House or by placing the same within the sack provided at the Speakers Chair. That was on Monday, 3rd November, 2008. In a curt reply to my request Mr. Devine replied; “no problem Willie”. As of to-days date, Tuesday, 14th April 2009 Mr. Devine, has made no effort to present the Public Petition to the House of Commons or place the same within the sack provided at the Speakers Chair. The declared terms within the Petition are; “On the date 30th July 1949 the Commander-in-Chief, Far East Station, Admiral Sir E.J. Patrick Brind, K.C.B.,C.B.E.; did whiles being in receipt of signals appertaining to H.M.S. AMETHYST’s intended escape from where it was being held captive on the YANGTZE KIANG, order His Majesty’s warship H.M.S. CONCORD, to enter Chinese territorial waters namely the Yangtze Kiang, on the East Coast of China, and there after to proceed to the location on the Yangtze Kiang, known as the Woosung Forts, and upon reaching that destination, to train it armament on the Woosung Fort, in readiness to respond in the event of H.M.S. AMETHYST, being fired upon while passing that location. As a result of the orders given by the Commander-in-Chief, Far East Station, Admiral Sir E.J. Patrick Brind, K.C.B., C.B.E.; from onboard H.M.S. BELFAST, 30th July 1949 did at that time subject H.M.S. CONCORD’s ships company to risk and rigour over and above what might be reasonably expected. Further; when the ’Yangtze 1949’ clasp to the Naval General Service Medal was instituted in November, 1949 no official Naval Signals or documentation capable of establishing H.M.S. CONCORD’s part played in the Yangtze Incident, 30th and 31st July 1949 were placed before (the H D Committee) of that time responsible for the Granting of Honours, Decorations and Medals. As such His Majesty’s ship H.M.S. CONCORD, and its ships company were wrongfully excluded from being recognized as a unit that was involved in the 1949 Yangtze Incident. (4) The Petitioner; therefore requests of the House of Commons, that the House finds remedy and reparation to the wrongful acts or omissions that caused and brought about the exclusion of HMS CONCORD’s part in the Yangtze Incident, 30th and 31st July, 1949. There you have what is stated in the Public Petition. However in Column 17 of Hansard, 23rd February 2009 from an item raised in the House of Commons, by:- Mr. Jim Devine (Livingston) (Lab) As my right hon. Friend the Minister is aware my constituent Willie Leitch lobbies me almost daily about the Yangtze Incident. I have written to my right hon. Friend to raise the issue with him but will he put the Governments position on record so that I can reassure my constituent Mr. Leitch. Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I have replied to my hon. Friend in the past and I am more than happy to meet with him if he wants more details about this issue. There as can be seen Mr. Bob Ainsworth, did not answer the question put to him by Mr. Devine, the question being; “will he put the Governments position on record” Well here is a little something to be put on record regarding Mr. Bob Ainsworth, Minister of Defence For Armed Forces. On the 18th November 2007 in a letter to Mr. Devine, reference; D/Min(AF)/BA MC05786/2007. He states among other things; “The ‘Yangtze 1949 clasp to the NGSM was instituted in November 1949. The nature of the incident was such that it was a simple matter to determine which units and personnel had been subject to the extremes of risk and rigour that should qualify them for recognition. The crew of HMS AMETHYST were, of course, eligible for the Medal for the entire period between 20 April 1949 when the ship first came under fire and was besieged, until her escape down the river Yangtze on 31 July 1949 Other units also qualified for the clasp, but only for the specific dates when they had gone to HMS AMETHYST’s assistance and had been subject to the same circumstances of risk and rigour: HMS CONSORT on 20th April, HMS LONDON and BLACK SWAN on 21 April, and individual personnel who were carried or flew to AMETHYST on 21 and 22 April 1949.” Ainsworth, also states in his letter; “By the time HMS AMETHYST reached HMS CONCORD’s position at the mouth of the river Yangtze on the morning of 31 July 1949, she had succeeded in making her escape. For the record, I have made it known to Member of Parliament for Livingston, Jim Devine, that this matter is not a matter to be dealt with at a Ministerial level, and certainly not an issue to be taken up with that foreigner to the truth, Mr. Bob Ainsworth, Minister For The Armed Forces, or for that matter Mr. Steve Spear, the Naval Secretary, another who would hold that H.M.S. Concord’s, ships company, (5) or should that be ships compliment never came under the extremes of risk and rigour that should qualify them for recognition in the 1949 Yangtze Campaign Awards. Well perhaps both Mr. Bob Ainsworth, The Minister For Armed Forces, and Mr. Steve Spear, the Naval Secretary, should now consider resigning from their positions, as when, Rear Admiral, Sir David Scott, deposited, within the Churchill College Archives, Cambridge, on three separate occasions, prior to his demise on 20th January 2006, his Naval papers, letters, a collection of newspaper reports and his Naval signals covering the Amethyst Incident of 30th and 31st July 1949 he was by his action whistle blowing You see, because all of Amethyst’s secret radio codes had been destroyed as a prevention against being captured, it was the C-in-C, Far East Stations, flag lieutenant that devised and signaled to Amethyst a “one-time pad” encryption system based on her nominal crew list which was available at both ends. That was David Scott’s contribution in the Amethyst Incident, covering the dates 30th and 31st July 1949. Some may remember that it was Scott, that blew the whistle on the Chevaline development to the First Sea Lord, round about 1976 on the grounds that costs and time had not been properly evaluated and that certain fact’s appertaining to costs had been concealed. Now, the late Sir David Scott’s, Naval papers when evaluated, they expose a great deal about that which has been concealed about, the latter stages of the Amethyst Incident. In concluding, to anyone reading these pages, if you feel that the terms within the “Public Petition“, related to on page three, are reasonable, then please consider sending this “Round Robin”, link to your Member of Parliament, in adding your support to the terms within the Petition. Yours Sincerely, William Leitch.
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