John Kerans
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Commander John Simons Kerans MP DSO RN |
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|---|---|
| Born | 30 June 1915 Parsonstown (Birr), County Offaly, Ireland |
| Died | 11 September 1985 (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
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| 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 |
|
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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.
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. The ship was detained for ten weeks during negotiations for its release, until Kerans led a night-time escape. 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.
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.
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