Lieutenant Commander
John
BYRON
,
RNR
52
John Byron was born in Stourmouth, Kent on 22 August 1891, the son of John (Jack) Byron and Margaret Adele Byron (née White). He attended Herne House school, Eastern Esplanade, Margate, Kent.
From January 1907 to July 1909 he was a Cadet on the Training Ship HMS WORCESTER on the Thames in London. As a Cadet he served in the SS COLABA and SS COCONADA from 22 September 1909 to 1 April 1912. After being awarded his Mate’s Certificate he served as 4th and 3rd Officer in the British India Steam Navigation Company’s ships SS GOLCONDA SS QUILOA, SS ELLEUJA and as 2nd Officer in SS ONDA from 2 April 1912 to 10 November 1914.
On 10 November 1914 John Byron was an Acting Sub Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve and was at Marseilles, France when he was mobilised for service with orders to report to HMS PEMBROKE at Chatham on arrival in England. He was then appointed to the Destroyer Depot Ship HMS ACTAEON ‘for HMS CYGNET’ on 6 December 1914. On 15 February 1916 John Byron was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE at Harwich ‘for Submarines’. He was next appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS ALECTO at Great Yarmouth ‘for Submarine H5 as Navigating Officer’ on 23 February 1916.
John Byron was promoted to Lieutenant, RNR on 7 November 1917. He was next appointed to HMS DOLPHIN ‘under Training’ on 31 December 1917 and to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS VULCAN at Lough Swilly ‘for Submarines’ to date 1 April 1918. On 30 May 1918 he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS ALECTO ‘for Submarine H25 as First Lieutenant’.
John Byron was transferred to the Retired List on 20 May 1923 and was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, RNR on the Retired List on 7 November 1925. He then continued his seafaring career. He was recalled for further service during WWII on 27 August 1939 when he was appointed to HMS GLOUCESTER II ‘for Naval Control of Shipping’ at Rangoon in Burma. He then returned to England with an appointment to HMS VICTORY ‘for DG Range Duties’ on 30 March 1940 and then commanded HMS PENTSTEMON, HMS TOWY and HMS KEPPEL from 21 April 1941 to 2 December 1943. He was then appointed to the ‘River’ Class Frigate HMCS VALLEYFIELD (Commander D T English).
John Byron died on 7 May 1944, one of one hundred and twenty five of the crew who were lost when HMCS VALLEYFIELD was sunk off Cape Farewell, Greenland, by the U-Boat U-548 (Eberhard Zimmermann) when escorting Atlantic Slow Convoy SC145.
John Byron of Burley Vicarage, Ringwood, Hants was the husband of Frances Mary Byron (née Worsnip) of Regent’s Park, London.
