William Faulkner Amsden

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Captain William Faulkner Amsden (8 September, 1884 – 21 October, 1979) served in the United States Navy.

Life & Career

Amsden was born in Washignton, DC but was appointed to the Naval Academy from Kansas, graduating with the Class of 1907.[1] He was promoted to the rank of Ensign on 7 June, 1909.[2] Amsden and Ensign Francis A. L. Vossler were detached from the Hartford on 30 June, 1910 for duty in connection with the Navy Rifle Team at the Boston Navy Yard.[3] He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) on 7 June, 1912[4] and to the rank of Lieutenant on 29 August, 1916.[5]

Great War

Amsden's first command was of destroyer Barry with the Asiatic Fleet in 1916. He remained in command until February 1918. During that time, he earned the Navy Cross for bring Barry and four other destroyers on an arduous 11,000 mile journey from Cavite to Gibraltar to serve on escort duty. He also earned promotion to the temporary rank of Lieutenant Commander on 15 October, 1917.[6][7][8]

For several months in 1918 Amsden commanded destroyer Balch, and was promoted to the temporary rank of Commander on 21 September, 1918.[9][10][11]

Interwar Period

Amsden was promoted to the permanent rank of Lieutenant Commander on 1 July, 1919, while serving as the first commanding officer of destroyer Laub.[12] His next command, of destroyer Graham in 1921, ended after the ship was involved in a collision off the New Jersey coast on 16 December 1921. While the ship was considered too damaged to be repaired, the event seemingly had no ill effect on Amsden's career.[13][14]

He commanded Billingsley from May 1922 into 1923[15][16] and served as Executive Officer of the Newport Naval Training Station in Rhode Island from 1924 to 1926. While in the assignment, he was promoted to the permanent rank of Commander on 5 June, 1924.[17][18][19] From 1926 to 1928 he commanded destroyer Smith Thompson.[20][21]

Amsden was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1935.[22] He served as first commanding officer of heavy cruiser Quincy in 1936 and then as Captain of the Yard at the Portsmouth Navy Yard from 1938 to 1940.[23] His final sea command was of a destroyer squadron in 1940 to 1941.

Amsden was placed on the Retired List due to incapacity in the line of service on 1 April, 1946[24] and died in Rhode Island on 21 October, 1979.

See Also

Bibliography

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Selah M. La Bounty 		Captain of U.S.S. Barry
before 1 Jan, 1917[25] – 1 Feb, 1918[26] 		Succeeded by
Roy P. Emrich
Preceded by
David C. Hanrahan 		Captain of U.S.S. Balch
after 1 Feb, 1918 – 1 Sep, 1918[27] 		Succeeded by
Lee P. Johnson
Preceded by
New Command 		Captain of U.S.S. Laub
17 Mar, 1919 – before 14 Dec, 1919[28] 		Succeeded by
Sidney R. J. Woods
as Captain of H.M.S. Burwell
Preceded by
Paulus P. Powell 		Captain of U.S.S. Graham
14 Feb, 1921[29] – after 17 Dec, 1921[30] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Robert M. Doyle, Jr. 		Captain of U.S.S. Billingsley
May, 1922 – 19 Jun, 1923 		Succeeded by
Archibald G. Stirling
Preceded by
Lesley B. Anderson 		Captain of U.S.S. Smith Thompson
10 Jul, 1926[31] – Jun, 1928[32][Inference] 		Succeeded by
?
Preceded by
Ernest Friedrick 		Captain, Navy Yard, Portsmouth
10 Jan, 1938[33] – after 1 Jul, 1939[34] 		Succeeded by
?

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Register of Officers, 1908. pp. 52-53.
  2. ↑ Register of Officers, 1911. pp. 46-47.
  3. ↑ "The Navy Gazette". Army and Navy Register. 2 July, 1910. Vol. XLVIII, No. 1,893, p. 23.
  4. ↑ Register of Officers, 1913. pp. 42-43.
  5. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 36-37.
  6. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. p. 36.
  7. ↑ Register of Officers, 1918. pp. 34.
  8. ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
  9. ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. p. 34.
  10. ↑ Kansas City Star 30 November, 1920 p. 2.
  11. ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
  12. ↑ Register of Officers, 1920. p. 26.
  13. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. p. 28-29.
  14. ↑ Baltimore Sun 17 December, 1921 p. 1.
  15. ↑ Register of Officers, 1923. pp. 28-29.
  16. ↑ Register of Officers, 1924. p. 35.
  17. ↑ Navy Directory 1 January, 1924 p. 2.
  18. ↑ Navy Directory 1 April, 1926 p. 2.
  19. ↑ Register of Officers, 1925. pp. 30-31.
  20. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 28.
  21. ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 26.
  22. ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. p. 26.
  23. ↑ Register of Officers, 1939. p. 24.
  24. ↑ Register of Officers, 1947. p. 436.
  25. ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. p. 36.
  26. ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
  27. ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
  28. ↑ Evening Star (Washington, DC) 14 December, 1919 p. 33.
  29. ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. pp. 28-29.
  30. ↑ Baltimore Sun 17 December, 1921 p. 1.
  31. ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 28.
  32. ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 26.
  33. ↑ Register of Officers, 1938. pp. 22-23.
  34. ↑ Register of Officers, 1939. p. 24.

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