John Kerans

Commander
John Simons Kerans[1]
MP DSO RN
Born 30 June 1915
Parsonstown (Birr), County Offaly, Ireland
Died 11 September 1985(1985-09-11) (aged 70)
Oxted, Surrey
Resting place St Peter Churchyard, Tandridge, Surrey
Alma mater Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Spouse(s) 1946 – Stephanie Campbell Shires (1917–2008)
Children Charmian & Melanie
Parent(s) Edward Thomas John Kerans (1880–1927)
Eva Willes Hale (1890–1957)

Military career

Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Rank Commander
Unit Naval Intelligence, Far East
HMS Icarus (D03)
Naval Intelligence, Hong Kong
Royal Malaysia Police
Commands held Assistant naval attaché, Nanking
HMS Amethyst
Naval Intelligence, London
Naval attaché, Bangkok
Battles/wars Amethyst Incident
Awards Distinguished Service Order
Member of the United Kingdom Parliament
for The Hartlepools
In office
1959 – 1964
Preceded by David Thomas Jones
Succeeded by Ted Leadbitter
Personal details
Political party Conservative

Commander John Simon Kerans MP DSO RN (30 June 1915 – 12 September 1985) was an officer in the Royal Navy and later a Conservative Party politician. He is also the author of the 1964 book The World's Greatest Sea Adventures, Publisher: Odhams Books Ltd.[2]

The Yangtze Incident

As Assistant British Naval Attaché in then Nanking, China in 1949, Lieutenant-Commander Kerans took command of HMS Amethyst when the ship came under fire on the Yangtze River during the final stages of the Chinese Civil War after the captain and 16 others were killed in the shelling.[3] The ship was detained for ten weeks during negotiations for its release, until Kerans led a night-time escape.[4] Kerans was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. The Amethyst incident was later the subject of a 1957 film called Yangtse Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst, in which Kerans was portrayed by the British actor Richard Todd.

Politics

At the 1959 general election he was elected as Conservative Member of Parliament for The Hartlepools. He served only one term in the House of Commons, and did not contest the 1964 general election. He advocated the representation of Communist China in the United Nations.[5]

References

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
David Thomas Jones		 Member of Parliament for The Hartlepools
1959–1964 		Succeeded by
Ted Leadbitter
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