Illustrated Chronicle 26/01/1915

Headstone for 3 HMS Viknor unknown crew

Viknor Naval Crew

Benjamin Chambers was born at 20 Henry Nelson Street, South Shields, Durham on the 14th June 1892, to Benjamin Chambers, a journeyman Tailor, born South Shields 1851, with his wife Phoebe, born in Swansea, Wales, in 1856. They had seven children, John, aged 18 in 1901, Ann, aged 16, Nathaniel, aged 14, Mary, aged 12, Benjamin, aged 8, Lily, aged 10 and William, aged 6.

By 1911 the family had moved to 48 Marlborough Street, South Shields. Nathaniel then aged 24, was a Marine Engineer. William aged 18 was a Blacksmith. His mother Phoebe had died by 1911.

Benjamin 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.

His father, Benjamin had moved during the War to 44, Alnwick Road, Tyne Dock, South Shields.

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.

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.

Research: Cynthia Kent/ James Pasby

Benjamin Chambers is listed on our List of Ships crews.

Official History of Naval Operations Vol II (NEW)
HMS Viknor Roll of Honour
Complement list of HMS Viknor crew
The Merchant History of the Navy in WW1
The CWGC entry for Assistant Cook Chambers