British Naval Officer. He was in command of HMS Amethyst during the famous Yangtze Incident. He served as a British naval attaché in China at the end of the Chinese Civil War. In 1949 the British ship HMS Amethyst came under fire from the People's Liberation Army while sailing up the Yangtze River to replace HMS Consort as guard ship for the British embassy. Kerans took command of the ship after she had withstood days of heavy fire and sustained many casualties. The ship was detained for ten weeks while negotiations took place for her release, with Kerans refusing to give in to Chinese demands that Britain admit that the ship had entered Chinese waters illegally. He finally ordered that HMS Amethyst slip her chain and begin a night-time escape while under fire from both banks. She reached open water after a 104-mile journey, and joined HMS Concord at the river mouth. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and in 1957 the incident inspired the movie "The Yangtze Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst", with actor Richard Todd playing the part of Kerans. After leaving the navy he entered politics and served as Conservative Member of Parliament for The Hartlepools from 1959 until 1960.
British Naval Officer. He was in command of HMS Amethyst during the famous Yangtze Incident. He served as a British naval attaché in China at the end of the Chinese Civil War. In 1949 the British ship HMS Amethyst came under fire from the People's Liberation Army while sailing up the Yangtze River to replace HMS Consort as guard ship for the British embassy. Kerans took command of the ship after she had withstood days of heavy fire and sustained many casualties. The ship was detained for ten weeks while negotiations took place for her release, with Kerans refusing to give in to Chinese demands that Britain admit that the ship had entered Chinese waters illegally. He finally ordered that HMS Amethyst slip her chain and begin a night-time escape while under fire from both banks. She reached open water after a 104-mile journey, and joined HMS Concord at the river mouth. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and in 1957 the incident inspired the movie "The Yangtze Incident: The Story of HMS Amethyst", with actor Richard Todd playing the part of Kerans. After leaving the navy he entered politics and served as Conservative Member of Parliament for The Hartlepools from 1959 until 1960.
Bio by: js
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See more Kerans memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
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England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
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England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
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U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current
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Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958
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London, England, Death Notices from The Times, 1982-1988
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