HMS Aurora -Dover and Bill Beresford

[doverrog]

Hello,
My mother is trying to find anything about what happened to Able Seaman Bill Beresford who was serving on the Aurora when she was attacked in Dover harbour about 1940.
My mother 'went out' with Bill for a while and she recalls that he came from Yorkshire.
Bill was badly injured when the Aurora was attacked and was in hospital for a while at Dover.
Any information about the HMS Aurora (I believe it may have been a destroyer) or about Bill would be really appreciated.

[Sue Mackay]

Just to say that we do have to be very careful posting details about possibly living people on the forum. Any information on the Aurora can be posted here, but personal details about Bill Beresford should be sent to doverrog by Private Message.

Re the Aurora, see http://www.british-genealogy.com/forums/showthread.php?p=152122#post152122

[Sue Mackay]

Perhaps the best way of finding out what happened to your mother's old flame, if she thinks he came from Yorkshire, is to write a letter to the editor of the Yorkshire Post asking if any of their readers have information.

[keith9351]

Here is some info on HMS Aurora

HMS Aurora was built at Portsmouth, (Wallsend) and launched on the 20th August 1936. HMS Aurora joined the Home Fleet in 1939 till 1941 moving to the Mediterranean fleet 1942 - 1945. After the war in 1948 she joined the Chinese Nationalists becoming Chung King but in 1949 she was taken over by the Communists becoming Tchoung King. being sunk in March 1949. She was salvaged in 1951 becoming Hsuang Ho, Chnagiung to Pei Ching later that year. and again changing her name when she became a Harbour Hulk Kuang Chou

This site also has pictures of the ship and crew.

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_aurora.htm

This site will give her movements during the war as well as actions involved in.

http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Aurora.htm

Keith

[doverrog]

That's terriffic. It looks to me as though the ship I was looking for is the destroyer HMS Boreas and that it had been confused with the Aurora. It also seems that he was something to do with communications, perhaps a Radio officer?
What excellent web sites.