A fine Second World War and “Yangtze incident” group of nine awarded to Chief Engine Room Artificer G. C. G. Graham, Royal Navy, who won a “mention” for services in landing craft 1944-45 and was called as a witness by the Admiralty Board of Enquiry into the Amethyst action: ‘There was considerable firing taking place on the port side and I left the ship with several other ratings. I made all ratings on the raft keep low as we were under heavy fire, and using arms and legs we paddled the raft ashore ... ’

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Yangtze 1949 (D/MX. 59026 G. C. G. Graham, E.R.A. 3, R.N.); General Service 1962, 1 clasp, Borneo (MX. 59026 G. C. G. Graham, C.E.R.A., R.N.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., E.II.R. (MX. 59026 G. C. G. Graham, E.R.A. 1, H.M.S. Illustrious), minor official correction to ship’s name on the last, contact wear, generally good very fine (9) £2500-3000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Bill and Angela Strong Medal Collection.

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Gerald Charles Gaffney Graham was born in Newcastle in November 1920 and entered the Royal Navy as an Engine Room Artificer 5th Class in January 1939.

The 1939-45 War

Gaining his first seagoing appointment in December 1940, when he joined the battleship H.M.S. Rodney, he served in a similar capacity until coming ashore in December 1942, in which period he was present in the celebrated Bismarck action - on that occasion the Rodney closed her adversary until she was virtually firing a flat trajectory, one of her 16-inch shells smashing into Bismarck’s No. 2 “Bruno” gun turret.

The Rodney having gone on to witness further action with Force H in the Mediterranean, including Malta convoys, Graham came ashore to Drake in December 1942, and thence to the Portsmouth bases Evolution and Odyssey from March 1943 to October 1944, gaining advancement to E.R.A. 3rd Class. Then from the latter month until the end of hostilities, and beyond, he was borne on the strength of the the Combined Operations base Copra, in which capacity he was mentioned in despatches for his work in Landing Craft Recovery Unit No. 32 (London Gazette 7 December 1945 refers).

Yangtze incident

Post-war he joined he joined the Amethyst as an E.R.A. 2nd Class at Hong Kong in November 1948 and was consequently present in the famous Yangtze incident in the following year, an Admiralty Board of Enquiry subsequently calling him as a witness to describe events in the engine room when the ship was first engaged by Chinese batteries:

‘We were proceeding at 230 revs. I went down the after end of the Engine Room by the two F/B pumps on the fire main. I did that because the fire main pressure had dropped. I stood back on seeing the Engine Room Telegraph being put to full speed ahead as there were two E.R.As already on the throttles. There was a lot of noise up top and then the starboard telegraph went out of action, the pointer moving right round off its scale pointing down. For the next five minutes normal routine of maintaining vacuum was carried out. Then the Engineer Officer and some others came down. The Engineer Officer told me that the idea was to close down quietly and evacuate the ship. I was detailed to stand by the two-men manual pumps. When closing down was completed I left the Engine Room with two Stokers to assist with the wounded on the after mess deck; during this time the lights were dying out. The Navigator told me to get stretchers but I couldn’t find any aft. The stores were being got up and the wounded being moved aft on the quarter deck. I was on the mess deck waiting for orders when a new Stoker told me there was a fire aft. I went to look for it searching the Wardroom flat and gland spaces but I could not find any fire. I then joined a human chain passing provisions aft port side. Shelling again then got heavy and we took shelter on the mess deck. The Navigator, who was in charge of operations, said “We will have to evacuate the ship” and asked for twelve volunteers to remain with the wounded. I volunteered and so indeed did everybody else. The Navigator selected his volunteers and then told the remainder to get ashore as best they could, swimmers helping non-swimmers. I first twice went round both boiler rooms and engine rooms repeating the Navigator’s order. Because a rating with me could not swim I opened an escape hatch on the mess deck to allow access to a carley float which was close by in the water. There was considerable firing taking place on the port side and I left the ship with several other ratings. I made all ratings on the raft keep low as we were under heavy fire, and using arms and legs we paddled the raft ashore. This was about 1140. About forty minutes before I left the ship there was a pipe “Clear the lower deck of all engine room personnel, muster on the after mess deck.” I went round repeating this pipe but I don’t know the reason or result of it’ (T.N.A. ADM 116/1595 refers).

Latter career

Departing the Amethyst in September 1949, Graham served aboard the aircraft carrier Illustrious from January 1952 to September 1954, in which period he was advanced to acting C.E.R.A. and awarded his L.S. & G.C. Medal. Confirmed in his rate in June 1955, while aboard the battleship Vanguard, he was pensioned ashore in January 1961. But two years later he rejoined as an E.R.A. 2nd Class and regained his old substantive rate of C.E.R.A. while serving in the aircraft carrier Bulwark in November 1964 - it was most likely for his time aboard the same ship that he was awarded his General Service Medal for Borneo in July 1966. And he came ashore for a final time in January 1968.

Sold with a quantity of original documentation including the recipient’s Certificate of Service, Engine Room Artificer’s History Sheet and Record of Employment, and a letter of reference from the North Eastern Marine Engineering Company, dated 16 January 1939; together with a quantity of research and a copy of Lawrence Earles Yangtse Incident, in which he is mentioned.