Henry Victor Hudson

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Hudson as a Lieutenant-Commander.
Photo courtesy his great-grand-nephew Jason Peck of Alberta.

Captain (retired) Henry Victor Hudson, O.B.E., (21 October, 1883 – 12 July, 1954) was an officer in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Hudson was born in Hawkhurst, Kent. He gained three months seniority on passing out of Britannia and received his first appointment dated 15 January, 1900 to the Mediterranean Fleet's battleship H.M.S. Canopus. The demands of the climate took their toll and Hudson was invalided on 11 March 1901 with Mediterranean fever and sent to Haslar Hospital, where he was admitted on the 24th. He was discharged on 4 April, to be resurveyed later. On 1 July he was deemed fit, to receive Home service appointments, initially, to avoid a recurrence. 8 July brought him an appointment to the battleship Hannibal of the Cruiser Squadron.[1]

Hudson failed in two attempts at the seamanship exam in June and September 1903. He was to be granted a third trial, narrowly passing in December with 690 of 1,000 marks. He entered the Royal Naval College on 19 January, 1904.[2]

Hudson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1906 while serving once again back in the Mediterranean in the gunboat Dwarf. Though he continued to serve in Dwarf another six months in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant, Hudson would be rewarded with a string of four torpedo boat and T.B.D. commands, ending with command of the Bullfinch at the end of 1910.[3]

He was next appointed to Cochrane on 8 February, 1911, leaving her when he was granted three months half-pay to travel abroad for his health on 18 July, 1911. He returned from this respite and was appointed to H.M.S. Excellent's gunnery training ship, H.M.S. Revenge, additional, on 20 October. On 14 March, 1912 he was once again given a destroyer command, Eden of the Home Fleet. In August, he was sent to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla, first as captain of Success before being placed in command of the Thrasher on 14 October.

Hudson was appointed to the new dreadnought battleship Ajax on 22 September, 1913, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1914.[4]

Great War

On 9 November, 1915, Hudson was sent to the hospital ship Pleny with phlebitis. As he needed to be sent south, he was superseded in Ajax on the 17th. He was sent to Haslar where his right leg was found to have periostitis (?). On 2 February, 1916 Hudson was found fit. As his skills were needed in command of the Grand Fleet's destroyer ranks, however, and he was appointed to the new "M" Class destroyer Narwhal on 10 February 1916, to assume command upon her commissioning.[5]

Hudson commanded Narwhal at the Battle of Jutland, where she operated with the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla screening the Battle Fleet.[6] His report written after the battle records that he fired two torpedoes against the enemy battle line. The first, aimed from 3,000 yards at the third ship which appeared to be a Kaiser class battleship, produced an explosion three minutes after firing. The second torpedo was aimed at an unidentified ship further back in the line.

On 21 October, 1917, there was a collision between Marmion and Tirade. Hudson was found to be responsible for the course of an eastbound convoy and had failed to tell the S.N.O. Lerwick and the S.O. of a westbound convoy of some illegible matter in light of the prevailing weather conditions.[7]

On 15 December, 1917, Hudson faced a Court Martial on the grave charge that he "did cowardly abandon" ships of a convoy. Luckily for him, the charge was not proved and he was acquitted.[8]

Hudson left Narwhal when he was superseded on 11 April, 1918. He was appointed to the destroyer Brisk in May 1918 to take command when she commissioned, on 28 May.[9]

The final wartime notations in his service record are more uplifting. A Court of Enquiry held on 29 September 1918 brought to notice the "efficient way he discharged his duties in attacking an enemy submarine on 28 August, 1918." And, on 22 April, 1919, he was gazetted "for valuable services in cmd of H.M.S. Brisk while employed on Otranto Barrage."[10]

Interbellum

On 11 April, 1919, he was appointed in command of the destroyer Senator.[11]

Freshly equipped with a certificate of service as Master issued by the Board of Trade, Hudson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1920.[12]

Hudson was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 4 August, 1930. He completed a course in Sea Transport work in February, 1931.[13]

World War II

Hudson was given some appointments in 1942. In 1944, he was sent to Australia aboard Golden Hind. Once there, he held in the rank of Acting Captain though his role is not clear. He was reverted to the Retired List on 23 November, 1945.

In 1947, he proceeded to take up permanent residence in Australia. He cruised in Australian waters for a year and offered his services to the Navy in 1948, though no follow-up is indicated on the offer.

See Also

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Stuart E. Holder
Captain of H.M. T.B. 76
26 Mar, 1907[14] – 27 Jul, 1908[15]
Succeeded by
Harold R. Thrupp
as Captain of H.M. T.B. 076
Preceded by
Edward C. Watson
Captain of H.M. T.B. 111
27 Jul, 1908[16][17] – 19 Oct, 1909[18]
Succeeded by
Arthur M. Longmore
Preceded by
Clive C. H. Maitland-Addison
Captain of H.M. T.B. 17
19 Oct, 1909[19] – Aug, 1910[20]
Succeeded by
Arthur W. Benson
Preceded by
Gerald C. Wynter
Captain of H.M.S. Bullfinch
Aug, 1910[21] – 7 Dec, 1910[22]
Succeeded by
Frank Powell
Preceded by
Herbert F. Littledale
Captain of H.M.S. Eden
14 Mar, 1912[23][24] – Aug, 1912[25]
Succeeded by
Frederic G. Schurr
Preceded by
Arthur M. Peters
Captain of H.M.S. Success
Aug, 1912[26] – 14 Oct, 1912[27]
Succeeded by
Reginald B. C. Hutchinson
Preceded by
Reginald B. C. Hutchinson
Captain of H.M.S. Thrasher
14 Oct, 1912[28][29] – 22 Sep, 1913[30]
Succeeded by
Douglas W. Hamilton-Gordon
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Narwhal
10 Feb, 1916[31][32] – 11 Apr, 1918[33]
Succeeded by
Edmund F. FitzGerald
Preceded by
Algernon E. P. Lyons
Captain of H.M.S. Brisk
28 May, 1918[34] – 12 Mar, 1919[35]
Succeeded by
Wilfred A. Higgins
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Stalwart
12 Mar, 1919[36] – 17 Mar, 1919[37]
Succeeded by
Frederick L. Cavaye
as Captain of H.M.A.S. Stalwart
Preceded by
Frederick L. Cavaye
Captain of H.M.S. Success
17 Mar, 1919[38] – 11 Apr, 1919[39]
Succeeded by
Oliver R. Wace
Preceded by
Kenneth C. Helyar
Captain of H.M.S. Senator
11 Apr, 1919[40] – 6 Jan, 1921[41]
Succeeded by
James R. M. M. Crichton
Preceded by
Henry P. Wilson
Captain of H.M.S. Stork
6 Nov, 1921[42] – 25 Apr, 1922[43]
Succeeded by
Robert E. M. Harris
Preceded by
Gerald H. Brady
Captain of H.M.S. Foxglove
18 Oct, 1922[44][45] – Nov, 1924[46]
Succeeded by
John V. Wotton
Preceded by
Edgar W. Buchanan
Captain of H.M.S. Weymouth
8 Apr, 1925[47] – 4 Jan, 1926[48]
Succeeded by
Hugh H. Rogers
Preceded by
Ralph W. Wilkinson
Captain of H.M.S. Chrysanthemum
26 Jul, 1926[49][50] – Nov, 1928[51]
Succeeded by
John B. Hughes
Preceded by
James C. J. Soutter
Captain of H.M.S. Tourmaline
29 Jan, 1929[52][53] – 6 Jan, 1930[54]
Succeeded by
Eric P. Vivian

Footnotes

  1. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  2. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  3. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  4. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  5. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  6. Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 45.
  7. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  8. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  9. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 745.
  10. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  11. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 862.
  12. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  13. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  14. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  15. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  16. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  17. The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 399.
  18. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  19. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  20. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  21. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  22. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  23. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  24. The Navy List. (August, 1912). p. 306.
  25. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  26. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  27. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  28. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  29. The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 386.
  30. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  31. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  32. The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 395v.
  33. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  34. The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 745.
  35. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  36. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  37. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  38. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  39. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  40. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 862.
  41. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  42. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  43. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  44. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  45. The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 240.
  46. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  47. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  48. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  49. The Navy List. (July, 1927). p. 224.
  50. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  51. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  52. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 275a.
  53. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
  54. Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.