The following material comes from the records of Donald Brotchie who served as the captain of SS Wantung during the Panay Incident. In late 1937 the Japanese were engaged in their final assault on Nanking, located several hundred miles up the Yangtse. This assault eventually culminated in what has come to be known as the "Rape of Nanking", a deplorable episode in which the Japanese intentionally slaughtered some 300,000 Chinese civilians. As the Japanese assault on Nanking began, the United Kingdom and United States were attempting to evacuate foreign nationals and civilians from the city. Both countries were neutral parties to the conflict and for this reason their shipping, gunboats and merchant vessels alike, were exempt from attack. All foreign vessels therefore bore huge flags on their canopies and sides indicating their neutral status. From time to time the Japanese would designate "safety zones" where foreign ships could anchor with the assurance they would not be subject to accidental ground or aerial bombardment. In late November of 1937, HMS Scarab and HMS Cricket (UK Insect Class gunboats) were off Nanking assisting with the evacuation of the city. The Japanese began attacking shipping in the area and SS Wantung, captained by Donald Brotchie, moved several miles upriver in a convoy with the aforementioned gunboats. USS Panay and her convoy of three oil tankers declined to join the British convoy and steamed past on their way to a mooring a number of miles upriver. During this trip Japanese planes repeatedly bombed the Panay, sinking her and all of the ships she escorted. The Yangtse flagship HMS Bee was first on the scene of the USS Panay sinking and was later joined by the US gunboat, USS Oahu. Survivors and the dead were ferried down river to Shanghai. At the time, the sinking of USS Panay was a major international incident and there was a significant threat of war between the US and Japan. (Photographs and video clips of the Panay Incident can be found here.) At the time USS Panay was sunk, SS Wantung remained in the British convoy with her escorts, HMS Cricket and HMS Scarab. I have seen little regarding the fact that the British convoy was also attacked by Japanese aerial bombardment, but Captain Brotchie's log is definite proof of that fact. The relevant pages of the log have been transcribed below. Captain Brotchie's handwriting is somewhat difficult to read and there are some minor omissions noted. Captain Brotchie and SS Wantung played a significant role in evacuating foreign staff and other civilians from Nanking. Letters of appreciation follow the log including one from the Admiralty

ACTIONS OF SS WANTUNG ANCHORED OFF NANKING (Report from late 1937 by Captain Donald Brotchie to Butterfield and Swire, Shanghai) Nov 25 5:00 pm SIANGTAU along side to take bank staffs (passengers) Nov 26 WANTUNG's bank charter transferred to SIANGTAU Nov 27 air raid warning Nov 28 air raid warning Nov 29 7am shifted to pontoon No. 5 (Berth No.6) next - below wharf at Pukow for 150 tons bunkers. G.P.O a/c - 5:30 back to anchorage Nov 30 WHANGPU anchored ahead of us. WENCHOW (unreadable) Dec 1 Capt. Jacobs A.P.C. TIEN KWANG to tiffin (Editor's note: Tiffin is a lunch or light meal - Far Eastern/Indian term) Dec 2 Graham Torrible Ch. Officer to Hankow as passenger per WHANGPU. Air raid. Dec 3 Shifted anchorage off French gunboat for G.P.O. (general protection?) purposes. Dec 4 Fresh NE wind, cold and clear. Dec 5 Forenoon air raid. Two anti-aircraft shells fell in river 100 yards ahead of ship. Bombs with much smoke in Nanking. Dr. Wang ((unreadable) married to Chinese) with Chinese girl boarded looking for CHANGOU. Noon, proceeded to CHANGOU. Dec 6 Fine, calm and cold. Forenoon air raid warnings. 1:30 to 2:00 pm Pukow much bombed causing fires. Pieces of anti-aircraft shrapnel falling around ship. Windows rattled by explosions one to two miles away. Dec 7 Proceeded (9:05 am) to anchorage about one (mile?) above upper (unreadable). 9:30 anchored, 4-5 fins. 2:30 pm air raid on Pukow. Minister of Communications left Nanking today. Dec 8 Light ENE wind, cold and fine. Afternoon air raid Pukow. Dec 9 Light wind, fine and cold. 10:00 am air raid, anti-aircraft firing. Visit from British Consul Prideaux Brune ("PB"), Vice Consul, Times War Correspondent and another. Pukow heavily bombed. HMS SCARAB and HMS CRICKET moved to anchorage near WANTUNG. MEI AN, MEI HSIA and MEI PING anchored astern of Jardine's hulk (Editor's note: All three of these tankers later left with USS Panay and were sunk/destroyed). 12:00 pm WOOSUNG down river Hankow. Dec 10 Light wind, overcast. Raid. Shelling vicinity of Nanking. Some air raids. p.m. - extensive fires Pukow. Mr. Roseu German Consul (Secretary to Embassy) and Vice Consul to dinner. Mr. Ritchies (Postal Commissioner) guests. Dec 11 Light wind, cold and fine. Heavy shelling vicinity of Nanking. 11:30 to HMS SCARAB to drink King's health (accession). 2:10 pm Safety!! Zone Shelled (Editor's Note: the Japanese would sometimes designate safety zones for foreign shipping where they promised not to bomb or shell.) Two shells in river between ships and bank, about 100 feet off ship - shrapnel on board, no casualties. 2:15 pm weighed (anchor) and proceeded upriver (first off the mark!). Other ships following. Anchored some 2 (miles?) upriver. Shelling resumed. Proceeded to anchorage off Resina (unreadable). 5:15pm anchored astern WHANGPU in 6 and one half fins. Later WHANGPU towed up E.W.O. hulk 11:30 pm and HMS SCARAB AND HMS CRICKET arrived at anchorage. Dec 12 Fine, clear with sound of shelling and machine guns. USS PANAY and S.O.C. (Editor's Note: Socony) steamers passed to anchorage considerably above us - 8:30 am. 1:30 pm three jap planes bombed the anchorage - terrific power diving and explosions. Several seemingly aimed at WHANGPU and E.W.O. hulk alongside. HMS CRICKET and HMS SCARAB drove off the planes with (fierce?) gun fire. 3:20 pm anchored after following gunboats. Concentration now more spread out. 4:30 planes returned. A.P.C. TIEU KWANG just missed (fragments marking white hull) - also WHANGPU. Gunboats fire drove them off again. All to meeting on HMS Cricket - decided to take berth at north bank and land all Nanking, G.P.O. staff (including 19 girls) before daylight - all could hide in the reeds. 9:15 pm berthed at north bank, with lighter No. 6 on starboard side and gangway to shore. (7:20 to 9:15 pm) Dec 13 All P. Office Staff and crew away in hiding by daylight (some chose to stay onboard). 10:00 am as promised by radio, three reconnaissance planes over concentration. Gunboats ready for action. Forenoon. Seven planes in formation back upriver - frequent flights over ships throughout the day - heard of USS PANAY and Socony disaster. HMS LADYBIRD shelled at Wuhu, six hits. A.B. (Editor's Note: able bodied seaman) killed. Dec 14 Gentle westerly wind, fair weather. 10:00 to 11:30 am on HMS CRICKET with McKenzie and Jacobs to conference for news. 12:20 to TIEU KWANG for radio news. 3:50 pm anchored near HMS CRICKET in 4 fins, with No. 6 lighter alongside. Three jap destroyers and a light cruiser with Rear Admiral passed upriver. Later a destroyer passed through concentration at full speed endangering lighters and tugs. 9:45 to 11:30 TIEU KWANG for news. Message from Rear Admiral, "Could not guarantee safety due to keenness of flying officers" Dec 15 7:00 am light easterly wind, fog. 2:50 pm weighed anchor. 3:15 proceeded down river with WHANGPU, HMS LADYBIRD, USS OAHU and two Jap destroyers. 4:28 anchored in 9 fins approximately 4 (miles?) above Nanking. Gunfire in vicinity. Dec 16 7:05 am convoy proceeded down river. Fine weather. 7:25 Nanking. 11:35 Chinkiang. 2:03 (unreadable). 3:10 Taishing. 4:30 anchored for night five (miles?) below (unreadable). Dec 17 6:15 proceeded. Light ESE wind, fine. (unreadable). 7:00 Kiangyan, 9:10 Tungchow. 11:24 WUHU (Editor's Note: an arrow pointing up appears here - meaning that the steamer WUHU was going upriver?). 2:45pm Woosung. 5:00pm berthed French Bund, Shanghai.

Below: Letter of appreciation from the Admiralty.

Below: Letter of appreciation from the Post Office.

Below: Letter of appreciation from Butterfield and Swire.

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