Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Zinor Blockley, born 1844 in Broughton Astley, Leics., and his wife Sarah Agnes, born 1847 in Hinckley, Leics. John Alfred was born in 1870 in Hinckley, Leics., he had one sibling, a sister Mary E., born 1869 in Burbage, Leics., in April 1871 the family home was at Castle Street, Hinckley, Leics. In April 1881 John was a scholar and was residing in the family home at 11, Cottage, Great Billing, Northants., together with his parents and siblings, Mary, Sarah Agnes, born 1872, Annie E., born 1875, Jacob Sperry D., born 1876 and Mary W., born 1879, the latter four siblings were all born in Hinckley, Leics., and Mary Monica R., born 1881 in Great Billing, Northants. In April 1891 John was no longer residing in the family home which was now at 52, Ashburton Arms Beerhouse, Church Road, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hants., in the Ecclesiastical Parish of Kingston, St. Mary, at home were his parents and siblings, Agnes, Annie, Sperry, Mary, Maud Clare, born 1883 in Northants., and Eliza D., born 1887 in Portsmouth, Hants. In April 1891 John was serving as a Petty Officer and was stationed at Excellent Gunnery Establishment, Portsea, Portsmouth, Hants. In March 1901 John was serving as a Petty Officer 1st Class and was stationed aboard Alexander Second Class Battleship, in Portland, Dorset. In April 1911 John was employed as a beer retailer and was residing in the family home at 68, Arundel Street, Landport, Hants., together with his wife of seven years, Mary Margaret, born 1877 in Portsmouth, Hants and their children, John Alfred, born 1905 and George Edmund, born 1910, both children were born in Portsmouth, Hants.
The background relating to the circumstances in which John lost his life are as follows; HMS Viknor had been requisitioned by the Admiralty and assigned to 10th Cruiser Squadron blockading the seas between the North of Scotland and Iceland. On January 13th 1915 HMS Vicknor set sail from Londonderry in Ireland, and headed out into the Irish Sea to make for her patrol area. On board her were 22 Officers and 273 Ratings mostly from the Royal Navy Reserve. The weather was bad and the sea was very choppy indeed. HMS Viknor never reached her patrol zone, a search of the area was made and scattered wreckage was found in the sea. There were no survivors. Mystery surrounds her sinking, it was thought at first that a U Boat had sunk her, however German records showed that no such craft were in the area until the end of January. It was officially recorded that HMS Viknor has been destroyed by an enemy mine, somewhere off Tory Island and that no one had survived. Over the next few days men from the ship were washed ashore and buried locally. In Bonamargie Friary there are four unknown graves of seamen from HMS ‘Viknor.’ Questions were put to Winston Churchill in the Houses of Parliament regarding the sea worthiness of HMS Viknor, and there were calls for a board of enquiry, all of which were dismissed. On the morning of the 12th of February, 1915 Sgt Angus McDonald the local Policeman on the island came across the body of a naval officer in Castlebay. It was dragged from the water and from his insignia and other effects the body was identified as Commander Ballantyne. He was taken home and buried in Dalkeith Cemetery with full military honours. Indeed it was one of the biggest funerals seen in decades in Dalkeith.