|
|
|
HMS Aurora
HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser, built at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched on the 20 August 1936. She served with the Home Fleet in 1939 as part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, escorting convoys to Scandinavia and joining the hunt for Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
In July and August 1941 she was involved in operations to Spitsbergen and Bear Island (operation Gauntlet) as part of Force "K" with the Home Fleet. In autumn 1941 she was transferred to the Mediterranean and arrived in Malta on the 21st of October 1941 to join a new Force "K". She saw action in the Battle of the Duisburg Convoy. Aurora was badly damaged by on the 19th of December 1941, when teh ships of Force K sailed into a newly laid Italina Minefield. Neptune and Kandahar were sunk and Penelope was also damaged. HMS Aurora was patched up at Malta then sailed home on 29 March 1942 for repairs at Liverpool.
Returning to the Mediterranean she joined Force "H", and in November joined the Centre Task Force for the Landings in North Africa, Operation Torch. In December she was part of Force "Q" at Bône against the Axis convoys between Trapani and Tunis. Aurora took part in the invasion of Sicily and the Salerno landings. She moved to the Aegean in October 1943 where she was damaged by bombs on the 30th of October, and withdrew to Taranto for repairs which were completed in April 1944. In August 1944 she supported the landings in the south of France, then assisted in the liberation of Athens.
HMS Aurora was sold on the 19th of May 1948 to the Chinese Navy and was renamed Chung King. She later defected to the Communists and was renamed Tchoung King. In March 1949 she was sunk in Taku harbour by Nationalist aircraft but was later salvaged.
15th Apr 1940 On the Move
16th Apr 1940 Air Raid
21st Apr 1940 Information
25th Apr 1940 Defences
27th Apr 1940 Recce
27th Apr 1940 Recce and gun practice
28th Apr 1940 Submarines & Smoke
4th May 1940 Ships bombed at Narvik
7th May 1940 Recce
10th May 1940 Operation
24th Apr 1941 Search
Aug 1941 Evacuation
9th Nov 1941 In Action
18th Dec 1941 Minefield
5th July 1943 Convoy Duty
10th July 1943 Protection
15th Aug 1944 Assault Launched
18th Aug 1944 Operations
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
|
Those known to have sailed in HMS Aurora during the Second World War 1939-1945. The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of HMS Aurora from other sources.
|
|
|
The Wartime Memories Project is the original WW1 and WW2 commemoration website.
Announcements
- 1st of September 2024 marks 25 years since the launch of the Wartime Memories Project. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over this time.
- The Wartime Memories Project has been running for 25 years. If you would like to support us, a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting and admin or this site will vanish from the web.
- 19th Nov 2024 - Please note we currently have a huge backlog of submitted material, our volunteers are working through this as quickly as possible and all names, stories and photos will be added to the site. If you have already submitted a story to the site and your UID reference number is higher than
264989 your information is still in the queue, please do not resubmit, we are working through them as quickly as possible.
- Looking for help with Family History Research?
Please read our Family History FAQs
- The free to access section of The Wartime Memories Project website is run by volunteers and funded by donations from our visitors. If the information here has been helpful or you have enjoyed reaching the stories please conside making a donation, no matter how small, would be much appreciated, annually we need to raise enough funds to pay for our web hosting or this site will vanish from the web.
If you enjoy this site
please consider making a donation.
Want to find out more about your relative's service? Want to know what life was like during the War? Our
Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
|
Wanted: Digital copies of Group photographs, Scrapbooks, Autograph books, photo albums, newspaper clippings, letters, postcards and ephemera relating to WW2. We would like to obtain digital copies of any documents or photographs relating to WW2 you may have at home. If you have any unwanted
photographs, documents or items from the First or Second World War, please do not destroy them.
The Wartime Memories Project will give them a good home and ensure that they are used for educational purposes. Please get in touch for the postal address, do not sent them to our PO Box as packages are not accepted.
World War 1 One ww1 wwII second 1939 1945 battalion
Did you know? We also have a section on The Great War. and a
Timecapsule to preserve stories from other conflicts for future generations.
|
|
Want to know more about HMS Aurora? There are:19 items tagged HMS Aurora available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
|
Ronnie Strike Aurora Penelope Spartan I believe my father, Ronnie Strike, who was a Radio Office "sparkie" sailed and was sunk on Aurora. Unfortunately he now has Alzheimer's. I can't be sure, but I believe he once told me that he sailed on:
Aurora, Penelope, Spartan and (I think) one of the "Tonipandy Class."
Does anyone know of anyway I can confirm this? Sometimes he can talk quite lucidly of his Royal Navy days.
|
CPO. Jim G J Polwarth HMS Aurora Jin Polwarth served from Nov 1940 and was on HMS Aurora.
|
Sig. George Bernard Sugden HMS Aurora George Sugden served in the Royal Navy. He was in action around Malta on HMS Aurora when she and HMS Penelope sank a number of enemy ships.
|
CPO Valentine Leonard Charles Instone MID. HMS Aurora CPO Valentine Instone was a Telegraphist in HMS Aurora. He was twice mentioned in despatches.
|
Sea. Jimmy "Lofty" Morrison HMS Aurora Jimmy Morrison served in HMS Aurora. I have photo of King George on board.
|
Able Sea. Francis Claude Burchell Radar HMS Aurora Ordinary Seaman Frank Burchell survived the sinking of HMS Spartan at Anzio on 29th of January 1944. He joined HMS Aurora at Taranto, serving as Able Seaman from 20th of March 1944 to 9th of July 1945.
|
Marine. Robert Beck HMS Aurora (d.7th May 1940) My uncle Robert Beck died at age 19. A Royal Marine serving on HMS Aurora. He died on the 7th of May 1940 off the Norweigian coast on HMS Aurora.
|
PO Philip "Donkey" Bray HMS Aurora Philip Bray served in HMS Aurora during the Northern Campaign and in the Mediterranean 'K' force. He was onboard for the Druisberg incident and also when Aurora hit the minefield. He left the ship on return to UK and became a commissioned Gunner (T) later serving in HMS Highlander.
(I no longer have his records, they have been passed on to his grandson)
|
Seaman John Stephen McMahon HMS Aurora My Father, John Mc Mahon, never liked talking about the war. He served on the HMS Aurora from 1941 until 1948. He did mention being on the ship and it being badly damaged and that he was in the cold water where he suffered later with a damaged heart and died at an early age in 1962.
|
LSto. Alfred John Grove HMS Aurora One new years eve, I was on duty in the officer's mess when Lt. Moore brought me a massive glass of rum which he pressed on me as I was not allowed to drink on duty. He wished me happy new year. He later went on to become the famous actor Kenneth Moore. I would like it known that HMS Aurora was a happy ship.
|
Able Sea. Henry Hogg HMS Aurora My father in law, Harry Hogg is 97 years old and served on the Aurora. He saw action in the war, and has great memories of when the Aurora was in dry dock in the United States.
|
Recomended Reading.Available at discounted prices.
|
|
|
