Leading Seaman Leslie Albert "Les" Belton, R.N. Collection
(1929-2007)
Page 8

July 1949: A Nationalist destroyer seen off the mouth of the Yangtze River.



August 1949: HMS Concord refueling from RFA Green Ranger A-152.



August 1949: HMS Concord refueling from RFA Green Ranger A-152.



August 1949: Chinese Nationalist tanker Yu Churn seen broken down and adrift. HMS Concord towed her to Formosa. When they arrived, Captain Nigel Rodney, commanding officer of HMS Concord, went ashore and was rebuked for entering Chinese waters without permission. They were ordered to leave and also told they were in mined waters. As Derek Hodgson, a crewman at the time said; "not exactly the welcome they expected".



August 1949: Chinese Nationalist tanker Yu Churn seen broken down and adrift.



August 1949: Chinese Nationalist tanker Yu Churn seen broken down and adrift.



August 11, 1949: The 8th Destroyer Flotilla Regatta at Kure, Japan. This is the chucking up party.



August 11, 1949: The 8th Destroyer Flotilla Regatta at Kure, Japan. "Just supporters".



August 11, 1949: The 8th Destroyer Flotilla Regatta at Kure, Japan.



August 11, 1949: The 8th Destroyer Flotilla Regatta at Kure, Japan. Let to right: Taff, Chef, Coup.



August 11, 1949: The 8th Destroyer Flotilla Regatta at Kure, Japan. "Just back".
(All photos from the collection of Leading Seaman Les Belton, R.N.)
Courtesy of Julie Newman



Les Belton joined the Royal Navy in 1947 and served until 1953. He carried a camera and took many photos of the activities of HMS Concord. He was in the ship when HMS Amethyst made good her escape from the Yangtze River and took a series of photos of the ship just after emerging into the East China Sea. His daughter, Julie Newman, has provided scans of this collection to MaritimeQuest and we are proud to be able to publish them on the site.


Page 8
Page published Jan. 11, 2015