Scrapped 16 August 1954
S.S. VIKING Launched 7-3-1905 Gross Tonnage 1956.76 Length (OA) 361ft, Pass. Acc 1st Class 976, 3rd Class 900 Trial speed 23.864knots. Built to compete with the Midland Railway Company's "MANXMAN" she was the first Steam Packet Co ship to be turbine driven, and soon proved her speed by arriving in Douglas from Fleetwood in 2 hours 22 minutes on 25-5-1907 (averaging 23.2 knots) also sailing from Liverpool to Douglas in 3 hours. Converted to a seaplane carrier by the Admiralty in World War 1 and renamed HMS VINDEX, she the first ship to launch a wheeled undercarriage plane from her decks, presaging the advent of the aircraft carrier. Attached to the Grand Fleet between 1915 and 1918 she also saw active service in the Eastern Meditenanean.Between Wars she was on station with the Steam Packet Co until, requisitioned for duties in World War 2. In which she evacuated retreating (troops from Le Havre and Cherbourg. On a unique mission in 1940 she evacuated almost the entire child population of Guernsey from St Peter Port. running the gauntlet of air attacks and landing the children (1800 in all) at Weymouth. Released from War Service in 1945 she sailed the Steam Packet Co routes until she steamed away to the breakers yard on 16-8-1954. leaving a wonderful history of 49 years of service.
