On the Plymouth Naval Memorial is the name of Cooper Thomas Burn serving on H.M.S. Viknor with the Mercantile Marine Reserve who died 13/01/1915.
The husband of Jane Gibson Burn, of 17, Council Street, Houghton le Spring, Co. Durham. He was a native of Jarrow, Co. Durham.
Thomas was born in Jarrow in 1890, and was the son of John and Annie Burn. They had 5 children, Elizabeth born 1881, John born 1883, Nellie [Eleanor] born 1887, Thomas and William born 1891. In 1901 they were all residing at 155 High Street, Jarrow, Durham.
In 1908, he married Jane Gibson Burn (nee Wood). They had two boys, William born 1910, and Harry born 1911.
In 1911 they were all residing at 133 Regent Street, South Shields. Thomas was a Check Weightman. The family moved to Houghton le Spring around 1911 as the census shows them residing at 17 Council Street, Houghton le Spring. Durham, which was the home address of his wife.
When he signed on to H.M.S. Viknor he gave his address then as 1 South View, Houghton le Spring.
Thomas 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 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.
Acknowledgements: Vin Mullen.
Thomas Burn is remembered at Houghton le Spring on H132.02 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
