He was an RAF pilot. He did training in Florida, and the ship was either about to arrive or had just left Florida (I believe. I did track its movements down a while ago, but I can't seem to find that information now). September 4th was a Friday, so the Thursday in question would have been the 3rd.
I suspect that the incident was probably mundane, but I would like to know for sure. Any information you could provide would be great.
(when I was researching it back in high school I actually wrote a letter to a war bride who had come across the Atlantic on the ship after the war.)
As you probably know, the USAT (Army Transport) Barry was a troopship, the former ocean liner SS Oriente, in Army service.
Barry was part of convoy TA-18, departing Greenock, Scotland on August 27th, enroute to New York City, along with the SS Monterey, USS West Point (formerly SS America), and USS Wakefield (formerly SS Manhattan), and escorts.
On Thursday, September 3rd, 1942, off the coast near Halifax, a fire broke out belowdecks on the Coast Guard-manned Wakefield. The escorting destroyer, USS Mayo (DD-422) and cruiser USS Brooklyn (CL-40) came to assist, taking off passengers, wounded, and non-essential personnel. About 2100, the ship was abandoned and Brooklyn took off the remaining crew. The ship was towed to Halifax, and then to Boston where it was repairs and returned to service.
Blair, Clay. Hitler's U-Boat War: The Hunters, 1939-1942
Ostrom, Thomas P. The United States Coast Guard in World War II