HMS Amethyst U-16 / F-116
Crew Photos

Crewmen seen in the mess room of HMS Amethyst U-16 in 1945-46. Able Seaman Charlie Chivers is seen
bottom row third from right.
(Photo courtesy of Able Seaman Charlie Chivers, R.N.)



"Boiler clean HMS Amethyst 1949" From left to right; Vince (?) Hawkins, Tommy Anderson, Dennis H. Morgan (now deceased) and Alexander 'Sandy' Reid (HMS Amethyst 9/11/1947 - 17/04 1949).
(Photo courtesy of Jasmin Reid)



April 27, 1949: Crewmen on HMS Amethyst F-116 seen while trapped on Rose Island during the Yangtze
Incident. Note the battle damage to the flag.
Top row: Chinese locals
3rd row left to right: Paul, MacDonald, Garns, MacNamara, Connor and Shaw.
2nd row left to right: White, But Sai Tin, Williams, Frank, Chare and Irwin.
Front row left to right: Parnell, Rutter, Blomley, Howell, Griffiths, McCarthy and Peggy the ship's dog.
(Photo courtesy of Lt. Commander K. Stewart Hett, M.B.E., R.N., Ret.)



May 1949: Crewmen of HMS Amethyst F-116 seen while trapped on Rose Island during the Yangtze Incident.
Note the battle damage to the flag.
Back row from lefr to right: Ray, Bell, Day, Townsend, Murphy and Hutchinson.
5th row standing from left to right: Fellows, Murphy, Augustyns, Cavell, Munson, Maddocks, Winfield, Pierce (?),
Parish, Bernard Grazier, Brown, Donelly, Jones, J. McCullough and Walker.
4th row sitting from left to right: Wilson, Keicher, Roberts, Saunders, Wright and Horton.
3rd row sitting from left t right: D. Jones, Hawkins, Delve, P. Jones, McLean, Bryson, Kay and Mitchell.
2nd row squatting from left to right: Wells, Venton, Hartness, Garfitt, A. Williams, Harris and Smith.
Front row from left to right: Nolan, McGlashen, Holloway, Griffiths, Freeman, Rees and Peggy.
(Photo courtesy of Lt. Commander K. Stewart Hett, M.B.E., R.N., Ret.)



July 17, 1949: Crewmen of HMS Amethyst F-116 seen while trapped on Rose Island during the Yangtze
Incident.
Back row from left to right: Townsend, Augustyn, Parish, Hutchinson, Jones, Wright, White (holding
Able Seacat Simon), Bryson, Chare, MacNamara, A. Williams, Murphy and Keicher.
2nd row from left to right: Bannister, McCarthy, Nolan, Saunders, P. Jones, Delve, Munson, Williams and Wilson.
Front row from left to right: James McClean, Griffiths, Wells, McCullough and Peggy.
(Photo courtesy of Lt. Commander K. Stewart Hett, M.B.E., R.N., Ret.)



November 1949: The HMS Amethyst ship's company seen marching through the streets of Plymouth, England fo0llowing their return from China.
(Photo courtesy of Lt. Commander K. Stewart Hett, M.B.E., R.N., Ret.)



November 1949: The HMS Amethyst ship's company seen marching through the streets of Plymouth, England fo0llowing their return from China.
(Photo courtesy of Lt. Commander K. Stewart Hett, M.B.E., R.N., Ret.)



The young man on the left is James McClean, D/SSX 660776 who served on HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident. While browsing your site I came across a photo courtesy of Lt. Commander Stewart Hett which also featured James. Of the other two young men I have no idea who they are. I do know that James's best friend aboard the Amethyst was Patrick Sinnott, who unfortunately lost his life during the battle, and would be interested to know if either of these is Patrick Sinnott, or if anybody recognizes them. James was a younger brother of my late mother. Sadly he passed away on 13 June 2008.

Sincerely yours,
Brian McFadden

Reply 1
July 27, 2008

The man in the centre is wearing an "HMS" cap ribbon, not an "HMS AMETHYST".  This suggest the picture is an earlier one taken during or soon after the end of WW2.  James MacClean was an Ordinary Seaman in 1949, so he could not have been on board the ship during WW2 so the picture is probably 1947/48. I will take a copy of the picture to the AMETHYST Reunion in Sept. Someone might recognise the people, but you will not get an answer until the end of Sept.

Best wishes,
Stewart Hett


Reply 2
Dec. 25, 2008

With reference to the photo of 'James McClean, d/ssx 660776 who served on HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident. The man on the right of the photo is my father Sam Cork.

Kind regards,
Rose Sellers


Reply 3
Oct. 22, 2010

I recently happened to find the Amethyst website. I have a special interest in this because Patrick Sinnott was a cousin of mine. He and his family stayed with my Mother and Father in Nenagh, County Tipperary for a time in the 1940's. He left to join British Navy I think in late 1948. He was known as Mick amongst the ship's crew and unfortunately he was killed in the Amethyst incident. I  saw the comment of  Mr. McFadden asking if any of the other two in the photo with James McClean was Paddy Sinnott. I am sorry to say that neither of those is Paddy Sinnott.

John White





Crew Photos
Page published Mar. 27, 2008