IIlustrated Chronicle

H.M.S. Viknor

Plymouth Naval War Memorial plaque

Illustrated Chronicle Tuesday 26/01/1915

Headstone for 3 HMS Viknor unknown crew

Thomas Henderson Bow was born in July 1882 at Sunderland the only son of David Russell Bow born April 7th 1857, died 14th February 1915, at Anderston, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland and his wife Elizabeth Ann Newby born 1862 native of Sunderland whom he married there in 1882. His father was a post master and general dealer trading from 1 Brookfield Terrace, Heworth, Gateshead.

In 1891, Thomas was residing with his Aunt Helen Morton at 424 Garscube Road, Glasgow, Scotland.

In 1901 they were residing at 4 Lony Street, Pelaw.

Thomas aged 18 was a carpenter’s apprentice. He married at Hartlepool in 1906 Florence Jane McKee born 1886 at Felling, Gateshead, she gave birth to a son in 1910, Frank Russell Bow (died in September 1968). They lived at 1 Brookfield Terrace, Pelaw, and had 4 female boarders who worked for his father next door. His father was widowed in July 1910 and gave up running the post office/general store moving to smaller premises at 4, Joicy Street, Pelaw, he ran the grocery shop with the help of 32-year-old Elizabeth Anderson, he also had a servant 21-year-old Rose Bonney. He remarried Sarah Ann Cook, [born 1860 died 1934], in October 1914.

Thomas joined as a carpenter assigned to HMS Viknor. She was an armed merchant cruiser originally a passenger ship named Atrato for use between Britain and the West Indies. In 1912 she was renamed Viking by her new owners and used for cruising and was commissioned by the Admiralty, despite her slowness, on the outbreak of war in 1914.

Assigned to the 10th Cruiser Squadron of the Royal Navy she was tasked to patrol between Iceland and Northern Scotland only minimally armed as they were not expected to meet enemy warships as their main purpose was to intercept and inspect neutral shipping to detect contraband heading to Germany. During the first weeks of 1915 the Viknor was on patrol off the North-West coast of Ireland.

Awarded the Mercantile Marine Medal sent to his widow Florence Jane at Brookfield Terrace, Pelaw, Gateshead, County Durham.

Thomas was one of the crew members of the HMS Viknor, part of the (10th Cruiser) Squadron, which sunk with all of its crew on the 13th January 1915 by a mine which had been laid by the vessel Berlin

His body was never recovered or identified like many of his fellow crew members.

Also on board the Viknor were eight Germans who had been taken prisoner when SS Bergensfjord was captured on January 11th 1915. These included Graf Hans Adam Wedell and Dr. Rasmus Bjornstad. Wedell was a high level German spy traveling from New York to Germany. It is unclear who Bjornstad was or if this was even his real name. The other (unnamed) six Germans were stowaways and suspected to be travelling to Germany to join the war effort.

Source: Maritime Quest with thanks.

Naval History WW1. Official Account.“VIKNOR, armed merchant cruiser, 13 January 1915, Atlantic off N Ireland - ex-Viking or The Viking, ex-cruise ship, 5,386grt, built 1888, Viking Cruise Co, 15kts, hired 19/11/14, Pendant No.M.82, 10th CS Grand Fleet, Cdr Ernest Ballantyne, most northerly ship on Northern Patrol line B north of the Shetlands. On the 11th, at around 62N, 02.24W, intercepted Norwegian SS Bergensfiord carrying an important German secret service agent and other nationals from New York, Viknor ordered to put prize crew on board, escort the Norwegian ship towards Lerwick, then continue on to Liverpool with a total of eight German prisoners. Last message from Viknor on 13th (He – off Malin Head; ss - at 1600 in 56.18N, 09W, course S21ºW), nothing more was heard of her. Probably 13th - Believed sunk off Northern Ireland by one of Berlin's mines broken free by heavy gales off Tory Island (Rn - foundered in heavy weather; C - Wrecked on north coast of Ireland), wreckage and bodies washed ashore at Portrush; 294 lives lost - 22 officers, 196 ratings, 74 MN and 1 canteen staff plus prisoners, no survivors (He – 259, ke - 295) (H/J/Rn/C/D/bi/dk/gf/ke/ss; ADM.137/185, ADM.116/1442)”.

In 2006 the survey ship Celtic Explorer located the wreck of HMS Viknor, according to Dr Ian Lawler, the wreck is located on the outer edge of a minefield laid by SMS Berlin which lends some credibility to the theory that she could have hit a mine, but at this time there is still no definitive answer as to the cause of the loss.

Thomas left a will to his wife of £155.

Additional Research: Cynthia Kent/James Pasby

Thomas Henderson Bow is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 and is also listed on List of Ships’ crews.

The Merchant History of the Navy in WW1
Complement list of HMS Viknor crew
H.M.S. Viknor Roll of Honour
The Wreck of H.M.S. Viknor
The CWGC entry for Carpenter Bow