Berwickshire

JBHF

Date of attack

20 Aug 1944

Fate

Sunk by U-861 (Jürgen Oesten)

Position 30.58S, 38.50E - Grid JA 1215

Complement

102 (8 dead and 94 survivors).

Convoy

DN-68

Route

Liverpool - Durban - Tamatave, Madagascar

Cargo

6000 tons of general cargo and a deck cargo of 70 tons of high octane motor spirit in drums

Torpedoed and Sunk - 1944

Berwickshire Left Liverpool For Tamatave via Durban Lost 20 August 1944		Fate
Master	J McCrone	Survived
Second Officer	T H Gillies	Lost
Apprentice	T M Atkinson	Lost
Radio Officer	W Spencer	Lost
Chief Engineer	H W Spottiswood	Survived
Third Engineer	R Brown	Lost
Fourth Engineer	J W Morrice	Lost
Chief Frig Engineer	W A Harrow	Lost
Second Frig Engineer	G E Paterson	Lost

Notes on loss

At 00.38 hours on 20 Aug, 1944, the Berwickshire (Master James McCrone) in convoy DN-68 was torpedoed and sunk by U-861 about 400 miles east-southeast of Durban.

Seven crew members and one gunner were lost. The master, 83 crew members and ten gunners were picked up by HMS Norwich City (FY 229) (Lt R.A. Groom) and landed at Durban.

Vessel

Built

Service

Tonnage

Berwickshire

1912

Ex Clan MacArthur (2)

1920 Transferred from Clan Line renamed Berwickshire

1944 Torpedoed and sunk in Indian Ocean

7382

Official Number

Ship Builder

Engine Builder

Engine Type

Screws

133085

Armstrong Whitworth

Newcastle

Wallsend Slipway

Newcastle

Triple Expansion Steam

840 NHP

4500 IHP

Master

From

J McCrone

8/1944

Torpedoed & sunk