Viking 1905

[john sefton]

Viking 1905
Built as a passenger ferry by Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. Ltd. of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
07 March 1905 launched under the name VIKING.
She was the first turbine driven vessel by the company. Coal fired.
Used in the ferry service between Fleetwood and Douglas. She made the passage in 1907 in a record time of 2 hours and 22 minutes with an average speed of 23.2 knots.
23 March 1915 requisitioned by the British Navy, and fitted out by Cammell Laird as a seaplane carrier. Cranes were installed for hoisting the planes back on board after their landing on the water.
11 August 1915 commissioned as HMS VINDEX.
April 1919 bought back by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co. refitted in a passenger ferry and on July 1920 got her old name back, VIKING.
Again for the next 10 years used in the passenger ferry service between Fleetwood and Douglas until 1930 when she was used for general duties.
Requisitioned the first week of World War II as a transport vessel from Southampton. During a bombing she was damaged in the Thames Estuary. Took part in the final evacuation of troops from St Valery she sailed from that port with 2000 troops to Le Havre on 12 June 1940.
15 June 1940 made a passage with troops from Cherbourg to Southampton and on 21 June from Guernsey to Weymouth. Her voyage from Guernsey was almost with the total juvenile population of the island, about 1800 school children were evacuated from St Peter Port to Weymouth.
After the evacuation from France, she returned to the Isle of Man Steam Packet service for a short time but requisitioned again from June 1942. Used as a Fleet Arm Target vessel, based at Crail the next seven months.
From December 1943 used as personnel ship and after D-day used in the cross-Channel service. Not used during D-day as she was under repair after being hit by a flying bomb while in the Surrey Commercial Docks in London.
1945 Bought back by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Co and refitted in a passenger ferry for the Fleetwood to Douglas service.
1947 Overhauled by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead. 14 August 1954 she sailed for the ship breaking yard of T. M. Ward of Barrow who had bought the VIKING. Arrived there 24 September 1954.
Her ship bell as remembering on her long association with Fleetwood was presented to the Borough of Fleetwood.