Escape of the Amethyst

Originally published in 1957, C.E. Lucas Phillips’ Escape of the Amethyst presents a detailed account of the Amethyst Incident based on the testimony of the namesake ship’s occupants and aids. HMS Amethyst was a British frigate that guarded the British Embassy in Nanking and sailed from Shanghai in relief of HMS Consort. This incident unfolded during the Chinese Civil War as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) prepared to cross the Yangtze River in April 1949. During this contentious voyage, despite being a neutral party, the Amethyst received heavy fire and eventually became pinned by the PLA after rescue efforts failed.

The author’s overall objective is to portray the individual heroic actions of the Amethyst’s crew and local aids to preserve lives and escape the ordeal. In addition, the author praises the Amethyst’s relief commander, John Kerans, who negotiated diplomatic matters tactfully during the ship’s detention and led to the ultimate freeing of the Amethyst.

Historical Comprehension

Phillips relies on official British government documents and the personal narratives of the crew to articulate the history of the Incident. The sources include interviews with surviving members of the crew and the British Admiralty’s recently declassified documents (as of 1957). While the author doesn’t conduct a deep dive into ongoing British relations in China in the 1940-50s, Phillips extensively covers the Incident from the perspective of the Royal Navy. Because the author wrote this closely alongside participants in the event, this is a reliable account of the Incident from the British perspective.

Modern Readability

The author effectively explains the historical context surrounding the Incident which helps an average reader comprehend the tenuous political climate at the time. The first chapter, in particular, helps readers gain an appreciation for the buildup to the Chinese Civil War and the Amethyst’s journey down to the Yangtze. The chronological flow is consistent and avoids lengthy tangents involving individual stories. Because Phillips writes this an homage to the bravery of many individuals, it is difficult to follow many of the secondary characters who appear instantaneously or briefly. However, a few of these secondary character accounts help the author emphasize the camaraderie and adaptability of many crewmen to illustrate how the Amethyst escaped.

Unique and Balanced Perspective

Phillips published this work after Lawrence Earl‘s Yangtze Incident (1950) which later became the film Yangtse Incident: The Story of H.M.S. Amethyst (1957). Therefore, in addition to the media coverage of this diplomatic event, the author had a pre-existing base of knowledge with which to cover this incident. However, due to the discovery of addition information, Phillips presents a more comprehensive account of the individual stories of participants than in prior works. In terms of balance, the author includes the viewpoints of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at that time. But, due to the contentiousness of the diplomatic policies when this was originally published, there were not official sources that that author could consult to validate the British Admiralty’s conclusions.