Parents: Daisy (TURNER) and Kirby Clebert BYARS
Siblings: Clebert Philip, Liddie Mae, Kirby Clebert, Jr. (died in infancy)
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USNR
Service No: 5522548
Award: Purple Heart
Entered the service from South Carolina

The SS Meriwether Lewis was a Liberty Ship built in 1942 and her home port was Portland, Oregon. On March 2, 1943, Seaman 1st Class HAROLD P. BYARS, a U.S. Naval Armed Guard, was on board as the freighter, enroute from New York to the UK to Russia with a cargo of ammunition and tires, was straggling behind Convoy HX-227 in the North Atlantic. German submarine U-759 attacked the ship but had to quit due to engine problems. Before it quit, however, the sub led U-Boat 634 to the freighter. U-634 fired a spread of four torpedoes, and one hit in the forward part of the ship. After three hours and more hits, and the ammunition blowing up in the forward part of the ship, the Meriwether Lewis sank bow first. A Coast Guard cutter searching the area for survivors found just a 30 mile trail of automobile tires.

There were 44 Merchant Mariners and 32 Naval personnel on board; none survived.

There is a Memorial Marker for Seaman Byars at First Baptist Church of Windsor, Windsor, Aiken Co., SC, USA

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About the US NAVY ARMED GUARD
"The U.S. Navy Armed Guard was a service branch of the United States Navy that was responsible for defending U.S. and Allied merchant ships from attack by enemy aircraft, submarines and surface ships during World War II.
The men of the Armed Guard served as gunners, signal men and radio operators on cargo ships, tankers, troop ships and other merchant vessels..."
from:http://www.armed-guard.com/about-ag.html
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