Yangtse Incident (1957)

No Quote for this film.

The real life Jack French (b. Teignmouth, Devon), the only telegraphist on board HMS Amethyst, died on May 4th 2011 at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire aged 84. During the highpoint of the siege, he stayed at his post for 6 days without sleep, kept awake through the aid of Benzedrine. Following the successful liberation of the ship he was awarded an immediate Distinguished Service Medal and ordered to take a complete rest. Having joined the Royal Navy aged 17 in 1942, French retired after 22 years service as a Chief Petty Officer. On his retirement from the navy, he took up a post at the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) in Cheltenham.
HMS Amethyst was brought out of storage to participate in the film.
The technical adviser was Commander John Simon Kerans, the British Naval Attaché "who commanded H.M.S. Amethyst during much of the period of the story, and whose exceptional help is gratefully acknowledged" as the credits put it; he is portrayed by Richard Todd. He had been awarded the DSO Distinguished Service Order ("for distinguished services during active operations against the enemy") for his part in the Amethyst incident, and soon after helping on the film served a term in the House of Commons after being elected Conservative Member of Parliament for The Hartlepools district from 1959 to 1964.
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