Empire Byron
British Steam merchant
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| Name | Empire Byron | ||
| Type: | Steam merchant | ||
| Tonnage | 6,645 tons | ||
| Completed | 1942 - Bartram & Sons Ltd, South Dock, Sunderland | ||
| Owner | J. & C. Harrison Ltd, London | ||
| Homeport | Sunderland | ||
| Date of attack | 5 Jul 1942 | Nationality:  British | |
| Fate | Sunk by U-703 (Heinz Bielfeld) | ||
| Position | 76° 18'N, 33° 30'E - Grid AC 2625 | ||
| Complement | 72 (10 dead and 62 survivors). | ||
| Convoy | PQ-17 (straggler) | ||
| Route | Hull - Reykjavik (27 Jun) - Archangel | ||
| Cargo | 2455 tons of military stores, 6 vehicles, 30 tanks and 15 aircraft | ||
| History | Completed in January 1942 for Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) | ||
| Notes on event | On 4 July 1942 the Empire Byron (Master John Wharton, MBE) in convoy PQ-17 was torpedoed by a German He111 torpedo bomber of II./KG 26 and fell behind convoy, where she was sunk by a coup de grâce by U-703 at 08.27 hours the next day. Three crew members, six gunners and one passenger were lost. The master, 42 crew members, twelve gunners and six passengers were picked up by HMS Dianella (K 07) (T/Lt J.G. Rankin, RNR) and landed at Archangel on 16 July. Another passenger, Captain J. Rimington (Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers), was taken prisoner by the U-boat and landed at Narvik on 15 July. | ||
| On board | We have details of 14 people who were on board. | ||
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