Cecil Henry Hulton Sams

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Captain (retired) Cecil Henry Hulton Sams (9 March, 1883 – 28 August, 1931) was an officer in the Royal Navy who dealt with frequent health problems and who possessed a flair for colliding with other vessels.

Life & Career

Sams underwent examinations for several days commencing on 20 July, 1897 and gained entrance to the Britannia term of August, 1897, his 1249 marks placing him thirty-sixth in merit among the sixty-three candidates accepted as naval cadets.[1]

In 1900, while appointed to the armoured cruiser Aurora, he participating in storming the Taku Forts.

Sams was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1904.[2]

In June 1907 he received an appointment as first officer in the submarine Sentinel, but he was invalided in November with rheumatism.[3]

In 1909 while serving as first officer in the screw sloop Algerine, he was awarded 4th class Assistant Surveyor pay, having recently been thanked for a survey of Takara[?] Bay.[4]

In May 1910, he was permitted to drop from a short course in Physical Training owing to an old injury to tendons in his foot.

In July of 1911, he was invalided from an appointment in the battleship Triumph with an ocular disease. In October, he received his next appointment, as first officer in the scout cruiser Forward.[5]

He left Forward for an appointment in the battleship Russell in mid-August 1912. In this ship he received his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1912. On 6 January, 1914 he was made first officer in the depot ship Woolwich.[6]

Sams was appointed in command of the destroyer Defender on 2 October, 1914.[7] He would involve this ship in no fewer than three collisions.

In January 1915, Defender collided with Druid.[8]

In July 1915, a Court of Enquiry concluded that Sams showed a want of judgment in a mishap while coming alongside the oiler Sebastian with Defender, resulting in damage to his destroyer. In October, he was blamed for yet another collision, this time with a Swedish steamer.[9]

In March, 1916, Sams was appointed in command of the destroyer Obdurate.[10] He commanded her as part of the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland.[11]

Sams was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1917.[12]

While he had been considered a very good destroyer captain previously, in April, 1918 things soured for him. Captain Dutton opined that he did not regard Sams's work as being very good, and Sams was subjected to a Court of Enquiry for a collision between Obdurate and Patrician. It criticised Sams for having attempted to close the other vessel "at a considerable angle in a dense fog" in order to regain station. Lastly, the same month he also was the target of complaints from officers of S.S. Tainui, which had been torpedoed by Hans Adams's U 82. The officers described Sams's behaviour as tactless in how he addressed men on his destroyer's forecastle when he did not himself possess all the facts.[13]

In December 1918, Captain Wood described Sams as "a very capable officer, but his abilities are marred by a lack of tact & an unstable nature."[14]

On 11 January, 1921, Sams was appointed in command of the destroyer Shamrock.[15] In June, 1921, he was appointed in command of Veteran. Captain Rose's inspection of Veteran on 31 December, 1921 was satisfactory "but hair of ship's company too long in many cases and room for improvement in drills."[16]

Sams was placed on Retired List at his own request on 24 January, 1923 and subsequently promoted to Captain (retired) on 9 March, 1928.[17]

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Walter J. Fletcher 		Captain of H.M.S. Defender
2 Oct, 1914[18] – Mar, 1916 		Succeeded by
Laurence R. Palmer
Preceded by
Laurence R. Palmer 		Captain of H.M.S. Obdurate
Mar, 1916[19] – 26 May, 1919 		Succeeded by
Charles W. T. V. S. Lepper
Preceded by
Henry P. Boxer 		Captain of H.M.S. Shamrock
11 Jan, 1921[20] – Jun, 1921 		Succeeded by
Colin C. L. Mackenzie
Preceded by
Walter H. G. Fallowfield 		Captain of H.M.S. Veteran
Jun, 1921[21] – 2 Jan, 1922[22] 		Succeeded by
William J. Whitworth
Preceded by
Edward McC. W. Lawrie 		Captain of H.M.S. Witherington
3 Jan, 1922[23] – Jan, 1923[24] 		Succeeded by
Eric Q. Carter

Footnotes

  1. ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Friday, Aug 13, 1897; pg. 8; Issue 35281.
  2. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  3. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  4. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  5. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  6. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  7. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 301.
  8. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  9. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/143/25. f. 26.
  10. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 854.
  11. ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 46, 224.
  12. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  13. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  14. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  15. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 863.
  16. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  17. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  18. ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 393i.
  19. ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 854.
  20. ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 863.
  21. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  22. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  23. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.
  24. ↑ Sams Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/126/179. f. 179.

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