SS Baron Dechmont of Ardrossan

[Neil Dickie]

Hello,

I am trying to find out about my Granfather John Dickie. Unfortunately, his service logs and certificates are lost, but I believe he was an Engineer first on the Baron Ailsa, then the Baron Dechmont and finally on the Baron Elgin.

Does anyone know what happened to the survivors after the Baron Dechmont was sunk?

The story we have is that they landed in Brazil, and I was hoping someone might have some more informatiion?

[Captain Kong]

Name Baron Dechmont
Type: Steam merchant
Tonnage 3,675 tons
Completed 1929 - Ardrossan Dockyard & Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Ardrossan
Owner H. Hogarth & Sons Ltd, Glasgow
Homeport Ardrossan
Date of attack 3 Jan 1943 Nationality: British

Fate Sunk by U-507 (Harro Schacht)
Position 3° 11'S, 38° 41'W - Grid FB 9141
Complement 44 (7 dead and 37 survivors).
Convoy
Route Barry - Milford Haven - Pernambuco
Cargo 4630 tons of coal and coke
History Completed in November 1929

Notes on event
At 18.00 hours on 3 Jan 1943 the unescorted Baron Dechmont (Master Donald MacCallum) was torpedoed and sunk by U-507 northwest of Cape San Roque, Brazil. Seven crew members were lost. The master was taken prisoner and later lost when the U-boat was sunk ten days later. 28 crew members and eight gunners landed at Fortaleza.

Cheers
Brian

[Captain Kong]

Aboard Baron Dechmont when hit on 3 Jan 1943


Buckley, Michael, Merchant Navy 26 Donkeyman Baron Dechmont + died
Burge, Bertie George, Merchant Navy 22 Fireman and Trimmer Baron Dechmont + died
Burnett, Percival, Merchant Navy 25 Greaser Baron Dechmont + died

Chestnut, John, Merchant Navy 30 Chief Officer Baron Dechmont Born 7 Sep 1912 Scotland
Died Oct 1985 (73) South Shields, Co. Durham

Hortop, Robert Samuel, Merchant Navy 35 Carpenter Baron Dechmont + died
Lean, Frederick, Merchant Navy 59 Fireman and Trimmer Baron Dechmont + died

MacCallum, Donald, Merchant Navy 40 Master Baron Dechmont Born 1903 Glasgow
Died 13 Jan 1943 (40) onboard U-507

Reeves, Norman, Merchant Navy 21 Fireman and Trimmer Baron Dechmont + died
Stephenson, Walter Farquharson, Merchant Navy 19 Apprentice Baron Dechmont, City of Pretoria + died
Tarrel, Donald, Merchant Navy 50 Boatswain (Bosun) Baron Dechmont + died.

10 persons found.

[DeepSea]

Attached copy of the Baron Dechmont original survivors report.

Baron-Dechmont.jpg

Baron-Dechmont-II.jpg

Baron-Dechmont-III.jpg

[DeepSea]

For some reason the attachments above have rotated back to the how they were on file, even though I changed them before posting.

[Keith at Tregenna]

Test 1

Baron-Dechmont.jpg

- - - Updated - - -

2 and 3

Baron-Dechmont-II.jpg

Baron-Dechmont-III.jpg

Hope these help. K

[DeepSea]

Thanks Keith,

Don't know what the problem is my end. Might have something to do with Windows 8.1 I have

[Neil Dickie]

Brian,

Thank you for this post, it's more info than we have ever heard before!

Neil

[Neil Dickie]

Thank you... This is astonishing, I had no idea reports like this existed.

I want to read it through, and hope it's ok if I come up with some questions?

Thanks again

Neil

[DeepSea]

I can send you the original size file if you can't read it too clearly. Just PM me with your email address and I will email to you.