What happened to HMS Amethyst after the Yangtze Incident?
The Yangtze Incident Amethyst was trapped in China until 30 July 1949, when she escaped under cover of darkness. For the 1957 film Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst, Amethyst was brought out of storage to play herself. Amethyst was scrapped shortly after the filming was finished.
Where was HMS Amethyst scrapped?
Six ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Amethyst, whilst another was planned: HMS Amethyst (1793) was a 36-gun fifth-rate frigate, originally the French frigate Perle, launched in 1790, captured in 1793, and wrecked off Alderney in 1795.
When was HMS Amethyst decommissioned?
1952
Decommissioned in 1952, AMETHYST depicted herself in the 1957 movie “The Yangtze Incident: The Story of HMS AMETHYST”. Damaged during filming, the ship was soon scrapped but the ship’s portside treadplates was presented by the Royal Navy to Herbert Wilcox, the film’s producer, and his wife Anna Neagle.
How many died on HMS Amethyst?
19 killed
“Amethyst,” 19 killed, 27 wounded; H.M.S. “Black Swan,” 7 wounded. In addition, 12 ratings are still missing. Of the damage to the ships, the “London” suffered the most severely, having been holed repeatedly in her hull and upper works.
What happened to the crew of HMS Amethyst?
Commander Pringle, of the British Naval Attache’s office in Shanghai, reports that 17 of the crew of the British sloop Amethyst are dead and 20 others seriously wounded as a result of fire from shore batteries on the Yangtse River.
Why did the Chinese fire on the Amethyst?
According to the Royal Navy, at around 08:31, after a burst of small arms fire, a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) field gun battery on the north bank of the river fired a salvo of ten shells to warn Amethyst to stay away from the war zone. Therefore, Amethyst ignored the warning and continued to sail towards Nanking.
Is the Yangtse Incident true?
Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957) is a British war film that tells the story of the British sloop HMS Amethyst caught up in the Chinese Civil War and involved in the 1949 Yangtze Incident. Directed by Michael Anderson, it stars Richard Todd, William Hartnell, and Akim Tamiroff.
Is the Yangtse Incident a true story?
When did the Amethyst return to Plymouth?
The only other ship I saw on that slip was the OPOSSUM, in the ‘60s. “HMS Amethyst returned to Plymouth in November 1949 following the “Yangtse Incident”. The ship and crew had been stranded in the River Yangtse after coming under fire from the Chinese communist army.
What was the original name of the HMS Amethyst?
HMS Amethyst was a modified Black Swan-class sloop of the Royal Navy. She was laid down by Alexander Stephen and Sons of Linthouse, Govan, Scotland on 25 March 1942, launched on 7 May 1943 and commissioned on 2 November 1943, with the pennant number U16. After the Second World War she was modified and redesignated as a frigate, and renumbered F116.
Who were the crew of the Amethyst?
Front row from left to right: James McClean, Griffiths, Wells, McCullough and Peggy. November 1949: The HMS Amethyst ship’s company seen marching through the streets of Plymouth, England fo0llowing their return from China.
What happened to the Cat on the HMS Amethyst?
HMS Amethyst bravely escaped to open sea 101 days after the original incident and returned to England. HMS Amethyst’s ship’s cat Simon was awarded the Dickins Medal for bravery but died before it could be awarded to him. There is a memorial plaque commemorating Simon at the PDSA headquarters in Plymouth.
