Byron Darnton - The Byron Darnton

The Byron Darnton

In 1943, a 10,500-ton Liberty ship was christened with Darnton’s name in Baltimore, Maryland. The ship was launched by his widow Eleanor and her sons, John and Bob. Bob wrote his name on the hull in crayon. Both sons followed in their father's footsteps and became journalists. John Darnton joined the New York Times as a copy boy in 1966 and went on to work for the New York Times for four decades. He received the Pulitzer Prize in 1982 for his coverage of Poland under martial law when he smuggled stories out of the country. Robert later became a renowned cultural historian. The ship sailed a regular run to Murmansk through the remainder of the war. On March 16, 1946, the Byron Darnton ran aground in an easterly gale off the coast of Sanda Island in the North Channel off the coast of Scotland. In 2003, a pub was opened on Sanda Island named the Byron Darnton. The owner says it is one of the two most remote pubs in the country. Remains of the shipwreck can still be seen at low tide.