Photo: James Pasby
Headstone for 3 HMS Viknor unknown crew
Viknor Naval Crew
the beloved husband of the above
who was lost in the
H.M.S. Viknor
1915 aged 52 years.
John Berry was born in December 1864 at 18 Laygate Street, South Shields to Thomas Berry, Mariner, [born 1838, in Methil, Fifeshire, died March 1923 at South Shields], and his wife Catherine Barnes, [born 1838 died in October 1909 at South Shields]. She was the daughter of John Barnes and Jane Evans and she was married on the 18th January 1859 at Holy Trinity Church at South Shields.
They had the following seven children, Mary Jane born January 1860, 18 Laygate Street, South Shields, [she married Hector Urquhart who was born in South Shields in April 1858, he died in December 1933 at South Shields], she married an unknown spouse in July 1879 in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, she died in January 1883 at South Shields, Margaret Berry born July 1862 at 18 Laygate Street, South Shields, John Berry, Ellen Berry born January 1867, at 18 Laygate Street, and died in March 1858. She married a Hector Urquhart, [born April 1858 died December 1933 at South Shields], on the 10th February at St Stephen's Church South Shields, they had seven children, Thomas Stevenson Berry born August 1870 at 18 Laygate Street, William Robert Berry was born in October 1879, died in June 1931 at South Shields, he married a Charlotte Venus Forster [born January 1881], on the 6th August 1906, and died on the 30th December 1932, they had three children, and Mary Jane Urguhart Berry was born in October 1883.
In 1881 they had moved to Johnson's Hill in South Shields, however there were only 5 children remaining at home.
1891 they are now residing at 74 Regent Street, South Shields.
John Berry was married at a Register Office on the 5th January 1900 to Elizabeth West Posgate, born 1869, (daughter of Thomas Chambers and Jane Thew), and were now residing at 4 Edith Street, South Shields. They had no children.
In 1897, the 26th October, John Berry had signed on to the Campania for £5 a month as a fireman, he was discharged at Liverpool on the 19th November 1897. On the 8th November 1899 he signed on to the Majestic again as a Fireman.
John 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 traveling to Germany to join the war effort.
Source: Maritime Quest with thanks.
The Viknor commenced signing on her mercantile marine crew on the 2nd December. She completed articles on the 22nd and left the Tyne on the evening of the 28th.
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.
John Berry is remembered at South Shields on S86.053 and List of Ships crews.
HMS Viknor Roll of Honour
The Merchant History of the Navy in WW1
The sinking of HMS Viknor
Roll of Honour of HMS Vicknor
The CWGC entry for Fireman Berry
