Eight: Temporary Lieutenant G. Wright, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for services at Wanhsien, Yangtse River, China, in September 1926

British War and Victory Medals (J. 93727 G. Wright. Boy 1 R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Pacific Star; Italy Star; War Medal; Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 3rd issue (J 93727 G. Wright. P.O. H.M.S. Drake) mounted as worn, the first two good fine, otherwise good very fine (8) £600-700

M.I.D. London Gazette 6 May 1927 ‘… in recognition of their services at Wanhsien, Yangtse River, China, on the 5th September 1926, and connected events:- Leading Seaman George Wright … H.M.S. Cockchafer.’

George Wright was born on 2 May 1903, at Thorpe, Essex. His father was a Chief Petty Officer in the Coast Guard and the family moved around, mostly to stations on the east coast of England. After the father died in 1916 they lived at Padstow, Cornwall, their mother’s home village. George was the oldest of five brothers; the boys were sent for naval training at Greenwich Hospital School. Three of them subsequently joined the Royal Navy and one the merchant marine.

On 28 November 1918 Wright enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman; at that time, aged only 15, he was 4 feet 11 inches in height with brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion. He trained at Impregnable, the Boys’ Training Ship at Devonport, from November 1918 to July 1919; then, after a month on the strength of Vivid, the RN Barracks, he was appointed to the light cruiser Concord, in which he served from August 1919 to August 1921. During this period he came of age, was rated Ordinary Seaman, and enlisted for 12 years. Concord was deployed on active service, probably against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic campaign of 1919, so that Wright qualified for the British War Medal and Victory Medal, even though he had not even enlisted until after the Armistice.

After brief postings to Monarch (a battleship) and Vivid again, in November 1921 Wright began a draft of two years four months in the cruiser Durban serving on the China Station as part of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron. In February 1924 he took passage in the cruiser Weymouth to return to the United Kingdom; in April 1924 he began a year long draft to Vivid, during which he was rated Leading Seaman and passed the examination for qualification as a Petty Officer.

Wright must have applied for a second draft to the China Station for on 3 March 1926 he was drafted to Cockchafer, an Insect class gunboat deployed on the Yangtse River. She had a displacement of 625 tons, a speed of 14 knots, and an armament of two 6 inch guns and two 12 pounders, with a complement of 52. The twelve Insect class gunboats had been launched in 1915-16 for a proposed campaign on the Danube River; when this did not eventuate, they were variously deployed in Egypt, Mesopotamia and northern Russia. On conclusion of the First World War they were sent to China where most of them patrolled the Yangtse and the remainder were based at Hong Kong.

In August 1926 Cockchafer was anchored off Wanhsien, a city of 150,000 inhabitants in eastern Sichuan province, about 300 miles down river from Chungking. The city and surrounding area were controlled by the warlord General Yang Sen.

On 27 August the British-owned steamship Wanhsien arrived there to disembark cargo and passengers. That evening, one of Yang Sen’s generals boarded the ship with a hundred armed soldiers and attempted to commandeer the vessel for use as a troop transport. Cockchafer’s commander, Lieutenant Commander Leon Acheson, took an escort from the gunboat and, after a tense confrontation, the Chinese retreated.

Two days later the steamer Wanliu arrived off the small riverside town of Yunyang, twenty-five miles down-river from Wanhsien. As the passengers disembarked, sixteen armed Chinese soldiers clambered aboard and, at the same time, a number of sampans loaded with armed troops approached the ship. Captain Lalor had no intention of allowing the Wanliu to be pressed into service as a troopship and immediately ordered the ship to proceed; but as she slowly forged ahead, one of the sampans sunk, whether swamped by Wanliu’s bow-wave or in a collision with another sampan was unclear. The soldiers already aboard rushed to the bridge but found their way barred by the iron grills which were standard anti-pirate equipment. Under a fusillade of rifle-fire from the shore Wanliu continued on her way to Wanhsien.

Once the ship arrived, Acheson boarded her with a party of armed sailors who disarmed the soldiers. One of the latter tried to take a shot at the sailors but was discouraged by a blow from an entrenching tool handle. The troops were then sent ashore, where they recounted their grievances to a larger group of soldiers who were nearby. This party then congregated on the river bank, threatening the Wanliu and her passengers with their rifles. Acheson fired a short burst from a Lewis gun into the water just in front of the soldiers, who dispersed, and Wanliu proceeded on her voyage to Chungking.

When Yang Sen heard of the incident, he issued a manifesto claiming that Wanliu had deliberately rammed the sampan, drowning 56 of his soldiers. Furthermore, the sampan happened to be carrying a treasure chest containing 85,000 dollars, for which he claimed compensation as well. He immediately sent 400 armed troops to board the Wanhsien, which was still in port; on 29 August another steamer, the Wanlung, arrived at Wanhsien and was also seized. Both ships had British officers who were confined to their cabins and were, in effect, hostages.

Cockchafer was in a very vulnerable position. On the two merchant ships were a total of 700 Chinese soldiers, whose rifles and automatic weapons menaced the gunboat at point-blank range. A further 2000 troops had taken up positions along both river-banks, and there was even a field battery with guns trained on the Cockchafer. The Chinese cut off all communication between the gunboat and the shore: three of the Chinese crew who had gone ashore on routine business were prevented from returning, and the British sailors had to watch helplessly as the ship’s sampan coolie was savagely slashed to death by Chinese soldiers on the river-bank, only 150 yards away.

Acheson was in radio contact with the Widgeon at Chungking, carrying Commander Berryman, Senior Naval Officer of the upper Yangtse, and Rear Admiral Cameron in the Bee at Hankow. Widgeon proceeded to join Cockchafer at Wanhsien, arriving on the evening of 3 September.

Negotiations proceeded but were not promising, and the British prepared a cutting-out expedition to release the two river steamers by force. At Ichang, the British chartered the Jardine Matheson steamer Kiawo and fitted armour plates and guns from the gunboats Mantis and Scarab. An expedition was assembled, commanded by Commander Frederick Darley, Executive Officer of the cruiser Despatch. The composition of the expedition was as follows: Lt A. R. Higgins and 43 ratings from Despatch, Lt O. Fogg-Elliott and ten ratings from Mantis, Lt J. Peterson and ten ratings from Scarab. Commander Darley and his expedition embarked in Scarab at Hankow for passage to Ichang on 2 September, where they arrived on the 4th, transferred to the Kiawo, and immediately set off for Wanhsien.

The British plan was that Kiawo would draw up beside Wanhsien; one party would grapple the two ships together, two others would board the ship, overcome the Chinese and rescue the hostages, whilst another would deal with any hostile boarders. The boarding party was armed with rifles, bayonets and pick handles but did not really expect resistance.

Yang Sen was informed of the British expedition and reinforced his men aboard the two steamers. However, apparently he too did not expect that the British would open fire.

All through the 5th September the company of Cockchafer, who knew of the expedition, waited apprehensively. At 6.15 pm, just before dusk, Kiawo appeared round a bend of the river and drew up beside Wanhsien. On the foredeck of the latter a group of Chinese squatted around a cooking pot; one of them even helped to secure Kiawo’s grappling hook. A bugler on Kiawo sounded the charge and the boarding parties began swarming aboard Wanhsien.

All hell was then let loose. From machine-guns set up in the cover of companionways, from riflemen hidden in deckhouses, cabins and behind barricades of sandbags, a hurricane of bullets met the boarding parties. Along both banks of the river and from prepared positions on the water-front, rifles, machine-guns and field batteries opened fire on Kiawo, Cockchafer and Widgeon. Commander Acheson was shot in the back as he climbed a ladder to Cockchafer’s bridge and he fell to the deck, bleeding profusely, but continued to direct operations from the spot.

Darley in the Kiawo hoisted the signal for “Open fire’, and Cockchafer’s guns went into action. Her six inch guns were directed at targets in the city and one of her first 6 inch shells demolished Yang Sen’s yamen, or headquarters, although the General was absent at the time. The 3 inch guns engaged the batteries that were firing on her. The Widgeon also joined in, pinpointing some of the guns.

Despite the murderous fire of the Chinese defenders, the bridge rescue party reached its objective and the Wanhsien’s Captain and five others were led to safety aboard Kiawo. However, naval casualties were severe; Lieutenant Higgins and several of his men were killed in the first rush, and Lieutenant Ridge, after holding off a group of armed Chinese, finally fell with 15 bullets in his body. Commander Darley boarded Kiawo to check on the progress of the operation and was almost immediately shot dead.

In the meantime, the three officers on Wantung took the opportunity to escape from the saloon. Two attempted to swim to a nearby French gunboat, which took no part in the action; one made it, the other didn’t. The third crouched on the ship’s rubbing strake, from where he was later rescued by Kiawo.

Lieutenant Fogg–Elliott realised that there was no prospect of recovering the ships and gave the order to withdraw, once a final effort had been made to recover the casualties. By that time night had fallen, and the darkness was lit by red streaks of rifle fire, the flash of shell bursts and the glare of burning buildings. Kiawo led the two gunboats to an anchorage about five miles from the city, where they could assess the damage and casualties. The killed numbered 3 officers and 4 ratings, whilst two officers and 13 ratings were wounded. On board Cockchafer, in addition to Commander Acheson, five more members of the crew had been wounded. Lieutenant A. F. Pugsley of Widgeon took temporary command.

Cockchafer was not yet out of danger. The following morning, as Kiawo and Widgeon disappeared downstream, the No. 1 Pilot told Pugsley that there was insufficient water for the larger Cockchafer to negotiate the rapids safely. The No. 2 Pilot seemed willing to try, whereupon the No. 1 Pilot said that he could do it after-all. However, the latter was acting oddly and at the critical moment, as the ship was gripped by the fierce current and racing towards the foot of the rapids, he ordered the helm to port instead of to starboard. Pugsley had been watching the man closely and instantly ordered full astern; the ship went aground but, fortunately, on a bank of shingle. Later that day, as she anchored for the night, a Chinese regiment passed by only a stone’s throw away on its way to Wanhsien; Cockchafer did not advertise her presence and, apparently, was not recognised.

During the action, Cockchafer fired 23 rounds of 6-inch and thirty of 3-inch, mainly directed at the troops and gun emplacements ashore, as well as a considerable quantity of small arms ammunition. Widgeon fired 66 rounds from her 6-pounders. Chinese casualties were hard to assess, as details of the incident were distorted and exaggerated for propaganda purposes, but one reliable estimate puts them at about 250 soldiers and up to 100 civilians.

It is interesting to note that, following his recovery, Commander Acheson was posted to an appointment far from China. The Chinese blamed him for the affair and had placed a bounty on his head.

Despite the only partial success of the operation, the Admiralty expressed its thanks to the participants, to which the Commander-in-Chief, China, Admiral Alexander–Sinclair, added his own appreciation. Several decorations were awarded, including the Distinguished Service Cross (2), the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (2) and the Distinguished Service Medal (4). A total of 27 officers and men were mentioned in despatches, some posthumously; Leading Seaman Wright was one of 15 from Cockchafer to be so mentioned.

In May 1928 Wright took passage in the Concord to return to the United Kingdom. In November 1929 he began a two year draft to the Adventure in the Atlantic Fleet. Then, after a period ashore in Plymouth, he served from September 1932 to January 1935 in the cruiser Norfolk on the America and West Indies station. He was rated Petty Officer in August 1934, and served ashore at Drake, the RN Barracks at Devonport, from January 1935 to September 1936. Having been consistently assessed as a man of 'Very Good' character, Wright was awarded a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in May 1935.

Wright was next drafted to the destroyer Basilisk, deployed with the Home Fleet, in September 1936, and left the ship at the end of her commission in March 1939. He served ashore at Drake from March 1939 to January 1941, having been promoted to Gunner (a Warrant Officer rank) in December 1940, and the following month he was assigned to the Prince Leopold. In December 1941 the Prince Leopold was part of a force which carried out a raid on German-occupied Norway (Operation Archery). On the 27th the force entered Vaagsfiord in northern Norway and landed 585 Commandos, who destroyed the local fish processing and telecommunications facilities. Meanwhile, the warships sank some German patrol boats and merchant ships and the Kenya engaged a coastal battery. Their most important success was the capture of ‘enigma’ related codes from a German naval trawler. The force arrived back at Scapa Flow on New Year's Day 1942 bringing with them 343 Norwegian volunteers.

Prince Leopold was one of the landing ships deployed for Operation Jubilee, the landing at Dieppe in August 1942, and in July 1943 she was deployed in Operation Husky, the Allied landings in Sicily. In February 1944 Wright returned to Plymouth. His Commanding Officer described him as “An efficient officer and excellent disciplinarian.”

Wright's next ship was the Speaker, which he joined on 13 January 1945, and then sailed for Gibraltar and the Mediterranean, in company with two other escort carriers and three destroyers. They had brief stops at Alexandria and Aden, with flying practice en route, and reached Colombo on 4 February. Some of the ships joined the Eastern Fleet, but the Speaker was ordered to continue her voyage to Sydney, where she would join the British Pacific Fleet. She arrived at Sydney on 23 February; the first priority was repairs and maintenance, giving her company the opportunity to enjoy the famous Australian hospitality.

The Speaker left Sydney on 9 March for Manus, the BPF's forward base, and was designated flagship of the 30th Aircraft Carrier Squadron, commanded by Commodore R. P. Carne. After a short sojourn at this bleak place she sailed for the refuelling area of the Fleet and provided air cover (Combat Air Patrols) during Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa. Her sixteen pilots flew 446 hours of CAP duties in thirty-three days. The ships off Okinawa and the Sakashima islands were repeatedly attacked by kamikazes but Speaker and the ships of the logistics force were not involved in combat action. On conclusion of 'Iceberg' she returned to Sydney for repairs, resupply and shore leave.

In June 1945 Speaker's CO, Captain James, reported that Wright ‘has worked satisfactorily and shown himself a reliable Officer Of the Watch at sea and in harbour.’ With this recommendation, he was promoted Acting Commissioned Gunner.

The BPF then began operations against Japan itself, flying missions against targets in the home islands. Speaker rejoined the Support Group on 20 August with replacement aircraft. As many aircraft as possible were then flown off to the operational carriers and Speaker prepared to act as an accommodation ship. The surrender of Japan was followed by operations to locate POW camps and then liberate the prisoners, many of whom were in a desperate condition. Speaker was the first British warship to embark prisoners of war; on 3 September she sailed for Manila with 473 Commonwealth men on board. Captain James had been instructed to pass by a few of the larger ships but when he saw that the decks of every ship were crammed with men all bursting to cheer, he took Speaker out of the Bay by 'a most tortuous path.'

Speaker's departure from Tokyo Bay was one of the most moving scenes of the war: ‘As she steamed through the British anchorage the ship's companies of all the British ships gave her a send-off which those who saw it will never forget. The sight of this small carrier with her ship's company fallen in for leaving harbour in accordance with naval custom but with, in addition, hundreds of ex-prisoners of war ranged on the flight deck cheering like mad and being cheered, brought tears to the eyes and the realisation of what the presence of the great fleet in Tokyo Bay meant to these men.’

Wright began his no-doubt long-awaited passage back to the UK on 28 September 1945. On his return from the Far East, he was reappointed to Drake. He retired with effect from 24 September 1946, with the rank of Temporary Lieutenant. George Wright died in January 1987 at East Dereham, Norfolk.

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