Headstone for 3 HMS Viknor unknown crew

Viknor Naval Crew

Frederick William Bowey was born in Alnwick in September, 1890, to Frederick William Bowey, born 1867, at Seaham and his wife Annie, born 1863, Alnwick, Frederick's maternal grandmother was called Elizabeth Smart who ran the Blue Bells public house in Alnwick.

In 1891, Frederick Senior was residing at 161 Baring Street, South Shields. Frederick junior, was staying with his Grandmother Elizabeth Smart, a widow with her five daughters, Elizabeth Loraine, 34, Annie (Frederick junior's mother) Bowey 28, Violet Smart 18, Lily Smart 18, Isabella Smart 16, and four granddaughters, Fennel Loraine? 7, Mary Loraine 2, Elizabeth Rutter 8 and Isabella Rutter 6. This was at the 'Blue Bells' public Inn at Clayport Street, Alnwick. Frederick's father was also a ship's Steward.

In 1901, the family were now residing at 62 Hyde Street, South Shields. Frederick's age was inadvertently stated as 13 years of age, he was in fact 11 years of age!.

Frederick was a Joiner/carpenter by trade and he joined the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners at South Shields, branch number 429, on the 6th March 1911, at the age of 21 years and 6 months where he stated he had been working over 5 and a half years working as a Carpenter.

He resided at 13 Barrington Street, South Shields when he signed on for the Viknor.

Frederick was based at Devonport.

Frederick 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.

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)".

By 1914, his father also called Frederick William had moved to 38 Alice Street, South Shields.

He left a will on the 24th March to his father the effects of £134 9s 4d.

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.

His name was erroneously reported as "Bowry" in newspapers of the time.

Frederick William Bowey is remembered at Boldon Colliery on B148.02 and our List of Ships crews.

The Merchant History of the Navy in WW1
Official History of Naval Operations Vol II (NEW)
H.M.S. Viknor Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Carpenter Bowey