William's Story.
Birkenhead News 10 February 1915
ANOTHER LOCAL “VIKNOR” VICTIM
A VERY SAD CASE
Another Birkenhead mother to hear the distressing news that her son is one of the victims of the “Viknor” is Mrs. Scott of 41, Shaftesbury Street who has been notified that Seaman William Scott was on the ill-fated ship when she sank.
The deceased who was educated at St. Mary’s School served his time at Messrs. Cammell Laird and Co’s as a holder-up and then joined the Navy about three years ago. The most distressing feature of Scott’s death is that he had only two days of married bliss, whilst being wedded on his last leave and the sincerest sympathy will be felt for his young widow. The latter and deceased’s parents received many letters from the sailor while he was away, but none since January and their letters have all been returned from that date. Scott leaves a large circle of friends in the Birkenhead district to mourn his loss.
HMS Viknor
Built in 1888 and originally named RMS Atrato she operated as Royal Mail Ship and ocean liner. In 1912 the ship was sold to a cruise company and renamed The Viking. With the outbreak of war in 1914 she was requisitioned by the Admiralty, armed as merchant cruiser, and renamed HMS Viknor.
During the first weeks of 1915 the HMS Viknor was patrolling off the north coast of Scotland when she was ordered to intercept a neutral Norwegian vessel, who the military suspected was carrying a German spy. HMS Viknor began to return to port in Liverpool; however on 13th January in heavy seas off Tory Island, County Donegal, she sank without sending a distress signal. All the crew aboard were lost. Some wreckage and many bodies were washed ashore on the north coast of Ireland and Scotland.
It has never been fully established the cause of the sinking, however the wreck was discovered in 2006 by an Irish survey vessel and because of the location it is thought that the Viknor may have struck a German mine, as a minefield was known to be in the vicinity.
William Scott's photograph, research and newspaper article by Chris Booth