# The Yangtse River; gunboats, steamers & more.



## Geoff_E (Nov 24, 2006)

I've long had a fascination with the vessels of the Yangtse, gunboats and trading ships.

To anyone who might share this, fairly esoteric, interest I commend the following website:

http://www.hmsfalcon.com/

A collection of really interesting vessel photos and a minor potted biography of one Captain Donald Brotchie; late of the China Navigation company. An unsung, member of the cloth of whom, I think, the Merchant Navy might be justly proud.

I would be interested to hear any more submissions or sources on this subject.


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## degsy (Jun 16, 2008)

*Yangtse Site*



Geoff_E said:


> I've long had a fascination with the vessels of the Yangtse, gunboats and trading ships.
> 
> To anyone who might share this, fairly esoteric, interest I commend the following website:
> 
> ...


Brilliant site Geoff . Good find thank you(Thumb)


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## kewl dude (Jun 1, 2008)

*USS Panay*

http://www.usspanay.org/

Greg Hayden


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## stein (Nov 4, 2006)

So, before anyone else asks the question: did anybody read/see "The Sand Pebbles"? (Good looking female good-looker in the Hollywood version.)
Both of the sites linked to above are worth looking at too. Regards, Stein.


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## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

An excellent site 

It has reminded me that I have a paperback book on the insect class from build to service in China and Middle East.

I will have to try and find it again.


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

When I first joined ICSN&Co (Jardines) in the early 60's they still employed half a dozen White Russians as watchman whilst the ships were in H.K. These chaps had been hired as security guards on the Yangste River boats to ward off pirates and when Jardines got kicked out of China by the Communists they were brought out and given token jobs as a reward for their loyalty to the Company. As the years went by their numbers got less and less

Mike

PS There is a book called Foreign Mud (I Think) that charts the rise of Messrs Jardine & Matheson


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## tudor (May 3, 2008)

MikeK said:


> When I first joined ICSN&Co (Jardines) in the early 60's they still employed half a dozen White Russians as watchman whilst the ships were in H.K. These chaps had been hired as security guards on the Yangste River boats to ward off pirates and when Jardines got kicked out of China by the Communists they were brought out and given token jobs as a reward for their loyalty to the Company. As the years went by their numbers got less and less
> 
> Mike
> 
> PS There is a book called Foreign Mud (I Think) that charts the rise of Messrs Jardine & Matheson


Hello Mike, I was with Jardines 1970/73 and am trying to get photos or paintings of their ships. Live in Singapore along with another trooper Jon Elliott. We are trying to get together some of the guys whom are not dead yet! Any contacts or where I can pictures would be great. Tudor


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## Eeaw (Mar 6, 2012)

Some very good and informative posts / links in this topic. I'll have to read more about them once I get home. Thank you very much guys.


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

I had an uncle who served in the Yangtse gunboats just before WW1 as a stoker. Anyone know him? I thought not.

He was a bad lad and was given the option of submarines or something worse, whatever that was. He was a good guy who, later, brought up two kids so I don't know what he did wrong.


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## RayL (Apr 16, 2008)

Not the same era, of course, but if you tune to the Film4 channel at 11 a.m. this Friday you will enjoy watching the 1956 film 'Yangtse Incident'. Using the very ship that was involved in the incident in 1949 - H.M.S. Amethyst - the film shows how she was attacked and then pinned down for months by the Communist forces, and how she only escaped by the ingenuity of her replacement captain (the original one having been killed). Enthralling stuff.


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## MikeK (Jul 3, 2007)

tudor said:


> Hello Mike, I was with Jardines 1970/73 and am trying to get photos or paintings of their ships. Live in Singapore along with another trooper Jon Elliott. We are trying to get together some of the guys whom are not dead yet! Any contacts or where I can pictures would be great. Tudor


Hi Tudor, just happened on your post today. Did you notice the date on my last post above ? it was 2008 ! you are lucky that I haven't joined the dead crowd by now !
I have a few pictures of Jardine ship's that I have gathered from odd corners of the internet, quite possibly on here as well, I forget exactly where but I know good old Mr Google helped a lot.

What was the name of that bitumen carrier they bought to run in the Straits ? I remember overtaking her when I was 2nd mate on the Eastern Cliff, outward bound for East Africa. We did the usual run up close in for everyone to wave at each other but we must have been a little too close as we sent a rolling wave from our wake along her deck sending the crowd running for anywhere to clamber up !

If there is any particular ship you are after let me know and I will have a look at what I've got.

Best of luck with your attempts at getting the old crowd together, as you say there cannot be that many left and going on friends from my time, they ended up settling down all over the world !

Mike


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

stein said:


> So, before anyone else asks the question: did anybody read/see "The Sand Pebbles"? (Good looking female good-looker in the Hollywood version.)
> Both of the sites linked to above are worth looking at too. Regards, Stein.



The good looker was/Candice Bergen.


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## R396040 (Sep 30, 2008)

My wife & I did a Yangzte cruise a couple of years back just before they changed the upper reaches with locks etc. It was a Chinese ship and had a great time. Being an ex seaman I took quite a few photos of local shipping of all types during the trip. Wrote to Sea Breezes magazine to see if they were interested but no reply. Not up to date enough to try to put them on here unfortunately.
Stuart


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## Pampas (Jul 2, 2008)

My Father served on "Cockchafer" as Stoker and the family has an album showing the various bits up river, transiting the Gorges, exicutions ashore, shooting a bear on a burning vessel, Rev. Darlinton at his hill station and many more. That was when we had a Navy.


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett (Mar 13, 2007)

I have been looking for a thread on this subject as it is close to my heart - CNCo people will have their own copies of Graham Torrible's "Yangtse Reminiscences" as the company have reprinted it.

I had the pleasure of knowing Captain Torrible in Hong Kong.

A book that I would recommend to anyone, - where else will you find directions on how to get a coal burning steamer up a rapid?

Some of Archie Blue's reminiscences have been published to the Internet by Hong Kong University - will see if I can locate them again and link to this thread.


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Has anyone with a knowledge of China Navigation ever heard mention of a Lesley Money?


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## Andrew Craig-Bennett (Mar 13, 2007)

Rings a very faint bell... I could check with the company Archivist if you like? Or put the question on http://www.swiremariners.com/ - we're a friendly lot!


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## Hugh Ferguson (Sep 4, 2006)

Thanks for the address, Andrew, I'll have a look at it and if I don't get anywhere I'll come back to you if I may.
He lived in Gweek, not too far from me. I met him on several occasions and I have photographs someplace. Fascinating yarns he had to tell of life on the China Coast. He died some years ago. All the best, Hugh.


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## peterlball (Oct 3, 2012)

Hello Tudor. I

I was with Jardines ships from 1964 to about 1976 on many of the old style cargo/passenger liners and then later on Cree and American Main. I remain sometimes in touch with a few others from those times and in my retirement I have compiled a lengthy history of the shipping interests of Jardines. 

Peter Ballantyne.


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## Leratty (Jun 3, 2012)

This is one of my interests & I have got a lot of information as well as books from the US Naval Institute Press. I am a member not too sure if you have to be to purchase. Oh it is not just US gun boat history but the majority of nations that had gun boats operating until WW2. Here is the address.

http://www.usni.org/navalinstitutepress

The photographs from that time are awesome.


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## ben27 (Dec 27, 2012)

good day Geoff_e,.sm.28th aug,2008.06:45.re:the yangtse river:gunboats.steamers and more,your link rejected,says it is forbidden you don't have permission,thought you would like to know,regards ben 27


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## patnalordjim (Feb 25, 2016)

peterlball said:


> Hello Tudor. I
> 
> I was with Jardines ships from 1964 to about 1976 on many of the old style cargo/passenger liners and then later on Cree and American Main. I remain sometimes in touch with a few others from those times and in my retirement I have compiled a lengthy history of the shipping interests of Jardines.
> 
> Peter Ballantyne.


I think we were together on the Cree 1973 I was 2nd Mate... I saw your notes on the ICSN forum. Jon Elliot is the only chap here in Singapore that I am aware of. I will need to monitor these forums more often, its the best of its kind...Tudor


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## peterlball (Oct 3, 2012)

Hi, Good to hear from another old hand. I have a lengthy dissertation about all the Jardines ships including the river ships. If you would like a copy then send me your snail mail address and I will post a copy - many photos and ship plans plus explanations etc. I would ask that you also show it to Jon Elliot. I think I remember you from days on Cree. We had a couple of beers one time in a seedy bar in Jesselton Borneo - you had other things on your mind at the time. Was that you? So what are you doing in Singapore. I ended up as a Melbourne pilot now long retired and hanging out mostly in London but travel lots. Peter Ballantyne - email: [email protected]
There is a better shipsnostalgia location = Indo China s n company.


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## NoR (Mar 24, 2008)

Hi, I was 2nd Mate on the Cree for six months Sept '71 to March 72. I did a 3D pipeline diagram of the cargo pipeline system in pencil on the back of an old chart. Nick Funston made a nice ink copy which was framed and put up in the wheelhouse. It was still there when I had a look round the ship in Singapore a few years later where she was awaiting repair following a fire.


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