HMS Viknor was lost off Tory Island in heavy weather in an area recently mined by the Germans on Jan.13,1915. She was a 5386 Ton Blue Star Line ship, formerly the Viking. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy as an Armed Merchant Cruiser. She was part of the 10th. Cruiser Squadron blockading the seas between the North of Scotland and Iceland. HMS Viknor sank on Jan.13, 1915. She had a complement of 22 Officers and 273 Ratings mostly of the Royal Naval Reserve. She was commanded by Commander E.O.Ballantyne. 25 seamen were of the Newfoundland Division of the Royal Naval Reserve. 24 are commemorated on the Beaumont Hamel Memorial in France. One body was washed ashore and is buried in Colonsay. This was one of three Armed Merchant Cruisers of the 10th. Cruiser Squadron lost in Jan., Feb., and March of 1915. Men of the Newfoundland Division of the Royal Naval Reserve lost in HMS Viknor 1220X Seaman Enos Barnes Port Union 1219X Seaman Albert Brace Chance Cove, TB 1147X Seaman George Coates Fogo 702X Seaman Gilbert Dyke Salvage Bay 411X Seaman James Greening Summerville 2180X Seaman Thomas Jackson Brigus 1218X Seaman Levi Jerrett Cupids, CB 1213X Seaman Phillip Lewis Caplin Cove 1224X Seaman Alexander Martin St.John's 1034X Seaman John Bowen Mercer Bay Roberts 1209X Seaman Frederick Morgan Seal Cove, CB 1190X Seaman William George Morgan Blow me Down, P de G 932X John Parsons Shearstown 901X Seaman Harry W Peach Arnolds Cove 706X Seaman Ralph Charles Flat Island, BB 1122X Seaman Charles Rowe Trinity 1222X Seaman William St.Croix Trepassey 1227X Seaman Edward Smart Saunders Cove, Alexander Bay 862X Seaman Eli Sparkes Shearstown 1259X Seaman George Stringer Little Hearts Ease 1214X Seaman Douglas Walsh Cow Head, St. Barbe 2179X Seaman Albert J Warren Glovertown 611X Seaman George Youden Bull Cove 670X Seaman Thomas Youden Bull Cove Other than (1034X) Seaman John Bowen Mercer, who is buried in the Colonsay Military Cemetery, these men are all commemorated on the Beaumont Hamel Memorial for those with no known grave.
Some photos and details of the wreck site. Good looking ship. http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?11823
I knew that I had a picture of her somewhere - although it is not brilliant in quality it is very hard to obtain any of her at all so I feel it is still worth posting in order to get an idea of what she looked like...