Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Six: Able Seaman Albert McKee, Royal Navy, who was mentioned in despatches for services on board H.M.S. Consort during the Yangtze incident in 1949

1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star, clasp, France and Germany; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45; Naval General Service 1915-62, 1 clasp, Yangtze 1949, with M.I.D. oak leaf (D/JX 423392 A. McKee. A.B. R.N.) mounted as worn, very fine £1,200-£1,500

M.I.D. London Gazette 1 November 1949: ‘Able Seaman Albert McKee, H.M.S. Consort.’

The destroyer H.M.S. Consort, under Commander Ian Roberston, D.S.C., was guardship at Nanking, the Chinese Nationalist capital, in April 1949 and, on receiving news of Amethyst’s plight on the 20th, quickly set off down the Yangtze. On reaching Amethyst in the early afternoon, Consort made three unsuccessful attempts to lend assistance, including an aborted tow, and sustained considerable damage and 30 casualties in the process, thereby necessitating her onward journey to the open sea - in fact eight of her crew were killed in action and another died of wounds. Robertson was awarded the D.S.O., two of his crew D.S.Ms, and another four were mentioned in despatches.