Fireman Henry Milleken or Milliken

GWGC Headstone for Viknor

Newcastle Journal Wednesday 27/01/1915

Plymouth Naval Memorial

Illustrated Chronicle 26/01/1915

Henry Milleken was born in London in about 1873, and was married to Jane Ann Bower on 31st December 1896 at Holy Trinity Church, South Shields, Durham. Their first son Henry Milliken (note different spelling), was born 5th June 1898 and died in 1898, 3rd Quarter.

They went on to have anther six children: Elizabeth Jane, born 1900; Florence Louise, born 1906; second son James, born 1910; Adelaide, born 1912 and twins Annie and Emily, born in 1914.

In 1911, the family were residing at 28 Hill Street, South Shields, Durham.

Henry worked at Smiths Docks at South Shields.

Henry 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)”.

His wife and family in 1915 were residing at 23 Laygate Street, South Shields, Durham. The Shields Gazette reported his address as 23 Hill Street, at the time of the Viknor sailing 28th December 1914, from the Tyne.

In 1939, Henry's widow was residing at 59 Laygate Street, South Shields, with her sister Mary E Brown, and in another part of the house is her daughter Florence Louise with her husband and family.

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

His name is sometimes spelled "Millikon". On the War Memorials his name is spelt Milliken.

Henry Milleken is remembered at North Shields on N34.04, in Harton on H104.01, at South Shields on S86.039 and S86.130 and in our List of Ships’ crew.

Complement list of HMS Viknor crew
Official History of Naval Operations Vol II (NEW)
H.M.S. Viknor
H.M.S. Viknor Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Fireman Milleken