On Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of Lieutenant William Charles Michael Johnson, serving on H.M.S. Viknor with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 13/01/1915.
He was born in Darlington in 1887, the son of Thomas and Jane Johnson, of 6, West Terrace, Conscliffe Road, Darlington.
He married Constance Roper of 68, Dickinson Crescent, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Gerald was one of the crew members of the HMS Viknor, part of the (10th Cruiser) Squadron, which sunk by a mine with all of its crew on the 13th January 1915.
His body was never recovered or identified like many of his fellow crew members.
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 S21W), 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.
Contemporary reports state he was residing at 68 Dickinson Crescent, Gosforth, and had also been living at 3 Gainsborough Grove, Newcastle, as well as Whitley Bay. Newspaper reports from that time also state that he was residing at 19 Lion Avenue, Whitby! This is incorrect.
William Charles Michael Johnson is remembered at Darlington on D40.034 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
