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Auction: 22003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 434

(x) Sold by Order of a Direct Descendant

The well-documented Second World War D.S.M. and 'Yangtze Incident' group of five awarded to Chief Electrician E. A. Austin, Royal Navy, whose war service included Arctic Convoys; a 'mention' for U-Boat hunting; and defusing loose depth charges in rough weather

Later posted aboard the Consort he was caught up in the Yangtze Incident and was roped into assisting his friend, Surgeon-Lieutenant Bentley, as Chinese shells crashed about the battered vessel on her mission to assist the stricken Amethyst

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (JX.146882 E. A. Austin. A/P.O. R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; War Medal 1939-45, note missing M.I.D. oak leaf emblem; Naval General Service Medal 1915-62, 1 clasp, Yangtze 1949 (D/MX 844273 E. Austin. Electn. R.N.), mounted as worn, minor contact wear overall, very fine (5)

D.S.M. London Gazette 1 January 1943.

M.I.D. ADM1/22947 24 October 1944, the original recommendation states:

'For outstanding leadership, skill and devotion to duty in a successful action against a U-boat. His constant attention to the maintenance of D/C and electrical equipment together with his leadership in action has been a good example to the crew.'

Emrys Ainsley Austin was born at Swansea, Wales on 5 September 1920; he worked as an errand-boy prior to enlisting on 12 November 1932 as Boy Class II. Undergoing his basic training at H.M.S. Drake and H.M.S. Impregnable, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman aboard H.M.S. Eagle on 5 September 1938. Family tradition has it that Austin wished to enter the Fleet Air Arm and was even accepted for that branch of his service but that his dream was interrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War.

The North Atlantic and Arctic Convoys

The War found Austin at H.M.S. Drake again but he was soon posted to the auxiliary minelayer Port Quebec on 3 June 1940 with the rank of Able Seaman. Minelaying missions began on 3 August 1940 and Port Quebec was soon deployed around Iceland and the Faero Islands on a series of manoeuvres to block off the North Sea to German commerce raiders and U-boats. Austin clearly performed his duties to a high level, soon being promoted Leading Seaman on 16 October 1940 and further advanced Petty Officer on 15 September 1941.

It was not all minelaying missions however; on more than one occasion Port Quebec was called upon to take up a role in escorting the Arctic Convoys to Murmansk. Their mission was as part of Force X, a diversionary unit intended to soak up enemy attacks in advance of convoy PQ17. This ploy was a failure, however, and the convoy took massive losses when the main bulk of the escort was ordered to withdraw in the face of suspected German surface forces.

Family tradition has Austin struggling with the food in Murmansk, 'They had nothing up there, except canned fish in tomato sauce'. The same traditions have him performing a number of convoy runs in the North Atlantic, including on one occasion defusing a depth charge which came loose in rough weather, with Austin crediting his award of the Distinguished Service Medal to this event.

U-Boat Hunting

Returning ashore on 7 December 1942 Austin served on land for a brief period, notably at H.M.S. Sakar, the Royal Naval Station in the United States from 29 July-9 September 1943. Later being posted to the Captain-class frigate H.M.S. Cooke on 10 September 1943, he joined them after the purchase of the vessel from the United States. Cooke was posted to 3rd Escort Group and spent much of late 1943 and early 1944 escorting battleships and aircraft carriers through the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

By mid-1944 the group was stationed in Britain performing anti-submarine sweeps of the English Channel. When a U-boat was spotted by an aircraft from No.229 Squadron on 29 June Cooke and three of her sister ships, Duckworth, Domett and Essington sailed to investigate. As they combed the area all four vessels got a positive ASDIC hit and began to launch depth charges, further scans found the shape of a U-boat, in fact U-988, lying on the seabed: it had been split in two by the bombardment.

After maintenance at Belfast they all returned to patrolling when, just south of Eddistone Light Cooke got a positive ASDIC reading and launched an attack on what later turned out to be U-214. Austin's actions during the attack were noted by his superiors and he added a 'mention' to his accolades. The attack itself proved to be a textbook example, with just two runs U-214 was caught in the pattern of depth charges and destroyed with a quantity of debris floating to the surface.

The Arctic Again

But the joys of operating in British waters were not to last and soon 3rd Escort Group was lined up for service escorting arctic convoys from Britain to Russia, with the first being JW61. They faced opposition from U-boats but successfully avoided long-range torpedo fire and managed to enter the Kola Inlet with their full complement.

Joining the return convoy RA61 the 3rd Escort Group was part of the force sent ahead to try and clear the U-boat packs gathering at the entrance of the Inlet. During this attack the Mounsey, another Captain-class frigate, was struck by a torpedo and crippled. On the return journey 3rd Escort Group was detached to join JW61A transporting Soviet prisoners who had been captured in France fighting for the Germans: ominously their return was specifically requested by Stalin.

Again attached to the return convoy, this one christened RA61A, Cooke caught a U-boat stalking the convoy and attempted a single depth charge before re-joining the convoy which was understrength on its escort. Further operations followed in the Channel and Irish Sea as the war drew to a close and the U-boats were gradually brought to heel, though the fighting did not diminish in danger or difficulty with enemy vessels attacking and being hunted by the 3rd Escort Group as late as 29 March 1945.

Postwar and the Yangtze

H.M.S. Cooke and the rest of the 3rd Escort Group sailed into Portsmouth on V.E. day, participating in the celebrations there before returning to Belfast again on 18 May 1945. Austin returned ashore on 29 June 1945 to serve at H.M.S. Defiance, changing his specialisation while here from torpedoes to electrics and becoming Electrician on 31 January 1947.

He was stationed aboard Consort during her long wait for relief at Nanking in the Spring of 1949. To relieve the boredom here Austin, together with the ship's doctor Surgeon-Lieutenant Mark Bentley, decided to put on a show for the crew. This event was the basis of a friendship between the men, one that would be tested under the most difficult of circumstances when the 'Amethyst Incident' unfolded on 20 April 1949.

While cruising to relieve the Consort on guard outside the British Embassy in Nanking the Amethyst came under heavy fire from Communist Chinese forces which were at that point attempting to force a crossing of the river. Forced to halt and under sporadic fire from the Communists Amethyst was in an untenable position; Consort hurried to her support.

Consort reached Amethyst at three o'clock on 20 April and immediately came under heavy fire from the artillery positions along the shore. Obliged to break away and make another pass she was still unable to get close enough to take the Amethyst under tow. In order to do so Consort first engaged the shore batteries; having silenced a number of them a final attempt was made to try and take the vessel under tow.

However the Communist positions were still presenting too heavy a fire and the Consort was taking serious hits. At this point, Bentley was operating on injured men in the Wardroom when a shell knocked out the lighting. Austin was called in to rig up emergency lights but soon found himself aiding in the medical treatment as enemy fire hammered about them.

In later life Austin was to tell stories of that time, talking of friends killed by shellfire and a sailor, set alight, who needed to be restrained before he could be put out. The punishment she took forced the Consort to pass her and continue downriver for repairs.

The 'Amethyst Incident' dragged on with several attempts at a rescue beaten back but eventually the vessel was able to escape under its' own steam. As Consort made her way downriver, one final grim task awaited Austin and the crew, sewing the bodies of the fallen into their hammocks in preparation for a funeral at sea.

Epilogue

Austin continued in the Navy for some time, promoted Chief Electrician on 17 May 1950 with H.M.S. Howe he was finally released to the reserve on 4 May 1952. After the war he moved to Canada with his family, living at Niagara Falls, Ontario and it was here that he died on 5 January 1984; sold together copied M.I.D. details along with an archive of original material comprising:

(i)
His original Service Record.

(ii)
Certificates of education and qualification.

(iii)
Letter of recommendation.

(iv)
A photograph album, full of images of his career.
(v)
letter from the recipient's wife and son outlining his career and anecdotes from his life.

(vi)
Newspaper cuttings relating to the Yangtze Incident.

For the medals of Lieutenant-Commander R. B. Davidson, Senior Engineer aboard H.M.S. Consort for the same action, please see Lot 334.

Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£1500