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Gerry Moreby | Gerry Moreby Gerry Moreby part of the crew of a Sunderland flying boat that went to aid HMS Amethyst during the famed Yangtse Incident of 1949. In 1949, No.88 Sunderland Squadron was stationed at Kai Tak, Hong Kong. We were mainly occupied with the transport of mail and freight between Japan, Singapore and Borneo. Sunderlands were particularly useful where there were no adequate airfields. On the afternoon of 20th April we heard that HMS Amethyst had been fired on by Chinese Communists guns on the Yangtse River. There were urgent talks between the Royal Navy and RAF and it was decided to send an aircraft to Nanking with medical supplies. These would then be sent overland to the Amethyst. All this changed when it was learned that the Amethyst's M.O. had been killed. The plan was now for a Sunderland to land on the river as close to the ship as possible, so that an RAF doctor could be sent on board. The crew of Sunderland D-Dog ML772 was Flt. Lt. Ken Letford DSO DFC (Captain), P.O. Ken Dillon (2nd Pilot), Flt. Lt. Maurice Marshall (Nav.), Engr.1 Lofty Doyle, Sig.1 Gerry Moreby (Wop/Air), Sig.2 Price (Wop/Air) and Gunner Devany (AG). Also on board was Gp. Capt. J.M. Jefferson, Station Commander, RAF Kai Tak. Flt. Lt. Michael Fernley RAF Medical Officer, a Royal Navy Medical Officer plus two Army Despatchers whose names are unknown. Gp. Capt. Jefferson had elected to make the trip himself and the two experienced Army parachute droppers were included as they would be able to accurately release supplies over the ship if a landing was not possible. We had reached the Yangste, flying at 5000ft when we were told by HMS London that landing under heavy fire would be too dangerous and we were ordered back to Shanghai at the mouth of the river. After lunch we heard that the Amethyst's situation was even more desperate than first reported so it was decided to try again. We took off again at about 16.3Ohrs. During the flight it was realised that there might not be enough time to transfer the cases of medical supplies to the ship so we broke open the boxes and the doctors filled their pockets and knapsacks with plasma, anaesthetics etc. As we got closer to HMS Amethyst, Ken Letford came down very low along a creek. Suddenly, there was the main river in front of us and as we circled we saw the ship close to the sand bank, the crew waving to us from the deck. Ken decided to land in the lee of the Amethyst where we would have some protection from the communist batteries. The landing was uneventful and we came to rest less than 100 yards from the Amethyst. Monaghan, the Amethyst's Commissioned Gunner had left Amethyst in a sampan rowed by chinese women. He persuaded them to row to the aircraft, We opened the door and Monaghan climbed in. At that moment the Communists opened fire and Michael Fearnley saw that the terrified women were rowing away rapidly, so, he hurriedly jumped in the sampan which proceeded to zig-zag away back to the Amethyst, leaving Monaghan and the Naval Doctor plus most of the medical supplies behind on the aircraft. Although everything was open and the anchor down, Ken Letford shouted that he was going to take off at once. Sig. Price and myself rushed down to the bows and chopped the anchor free. The rest of us shut what doors we could and we climbed away, pursued by fire from the Chinese guns. As most of the medical supplies destined for the Amethyst had not been delivered and were still aboard D-Dog we decided to make another attempt the next day and this time we were to take a Padre with us to bury the dead. This time the Gp. Capt. demanded and got a much fuller briefing. On the second sortie (22.04.49) we successfully landed alongside HMS Amethyst, opened the rear door and launched a rubber dinghy, attaching it by rope. Once again several bursts of shell and other gunfire forced us yet again into an immediate take-off. Goodbye dinghy. We were airborne again on 23.04.49 from Shanghai to carry out reconnaissance in the area where HMS Amethyst was. We were hit by ground fire and the port main tank was holed causing heavy leaking into the bomb bay. Also on landing we discovered the main aileron control wire between the Signaller's position and the Captain's position running along the floor, was almost severed and that two bullets were lodged in the Navigator's computer which was in his Nav's bag. The bullets had entered through the portside of the wardroom, continuing upwards through the control housing in the floor of the upper deck. Luckily, the computer had stopped the bullets travelling in line for the Gp. Capt.'s bottom, which was strategically placed between the two pilots. Also, the 0.5in round that had entered the starboard side, passed through the sleeve of Ken Dillon#39;s uniform and did no harm, so we all reckoned that lady luck had been on our side. Quite an eventful few days away from Kai-Tak. |
Items Signed by Gerry Moreby |
  | Clipped Signature - Gerald Moreby. Price : £30.00 | He was part of the crew of a No.88 Sqn Sunderland flying boat which went to the aid of HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident in 1949. Over three days they landed a doctor and medical aid to the ship under a heavy barrage of fire - the aircraft w...... | |
  | Yangtse Incident by Timothy OBrien. (C) Price : £110.00 | HMS Amethyst about to return fire while a Sunderland of 88 Squadron makes a hurried departure, 23rd of April 1949. ...... |
Packs with at least one item featuring the signature of Gerry Moreby |
| Squadrons for : Gerry Moreby | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Gerry Moreby. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
Country : UK Founded : 24th July 1917 Fate : Disbanded 17th December 1962 Hong Kong En garde - Be on your guard | No.88 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
| Aircraft for : Gerry Moreby | |||
| A list of all aircraft associated with Gerry Moreby. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
| Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : Short Production Began : 1938 Retired : 1959 Number Built : 749 | Sunderland The Short Sunderland, Patrol and Reconnaissance Flying Boat. normal crew level 10. maximum speed of 210mph for Mark I, 205mph Mark II and Mark III, and 213mph Mark V. ceiling 17,900 feet and range of 2110 miles (mk I) 2880 miles for Mark V. endurance in the air 13.5 hours. The Sunderland carries 1 .303 machine gun in the nose, (mark I) and four .303 browning machine guns in the Tail Turret. Also in the Mark II four Vickers .303 inch machine guns were used in the body positions. and four browning machineguns in the nose flanks in the Mark III. Maximum bomb load of 4960 lbs. Based on the design of the Civil Empire class flying boat. The Short Sunderland entered service with the Royal Air Force in June 1938 with 230 squadron. and by the end of the war, 20 squadrons of the Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force were equipped with Sunderland's. By the end of the production in 1946 a total of 749 were built, The roles the Short Sunderland played, mainly were in Maritime and anti Submarine duties, especially in the battle of the Atlantic, The Sunderland accounted for 58 U-Boats sunk or badly damaged. The Sunderland was also used in other theatres of the war and in the Mediterranean helped in the evacuation of troops from Crete and Greece, as well as helping in the evacuation of troops in Burma. The Short Sunderland remained in service with the Royal Air Force until 1959. used during the Korean War, The Berlin Air Lift, and during Operation Firedog, , The Malayan Emergency. | ||
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