The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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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. List of those who served on HMS Aurora during The Second World War Gnr. Edison Thomas "Taff" Jones Read his Story. Ronnie Strike Read his Story. 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. Gnr. Edison Thomas "Taff" Jones HMS Aurora Eddie Jones served on HMS Abercrombie and HMS Aurora, apparently the late actor Kenneth Moore served on one of these ships, not sure which one. One story I was told was that of a football match between the navy boys and some bare footed Guerkas in which apparently, the navy took a beating on a red hot deck by these bare footed soldiers. My lasting memory of which Eddie told me was how after months on end in the Med he recalled crying for hours on end up on the deck, with not a sight of anything at all during this time, just this vast expanse of water. Eddie came out of the navy after the war and moved in with my nan and granddad just outside Worcester as a lodger working the local farms before working for the railway up until retirement. Eddie died in 2001 aged 77 but will never be forgotten. I would love to hear from anyone who knew him. Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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