William Faulkner Amsden
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 Naval Training Station, Newport 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 David F. Boyd, Jr. |
Captain, Navy Yard, Portsmouth 10 Jan, 1938[33] – after 1 Jul, 1939[34] |
Succeeded by ? |
Footnotes
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1908. pp. 52-53.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1911. pp. 46-47.
- ↑ "The Navy Gazette". Army and Navy Register. 2 July, 1910. Vol. XLVIII, No. 1,893, p. 23.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1913. pp. 42-43.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. pp. 36-37.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. p. 36.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1918. pp. 34.
- ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1919. p. 34.
- ↑ Kansas City Star 30 November, 1920 p. 2.
- ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1920. p. 26.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. p. 28-29.
- ↑ Baltimore Sun 17 December, 1921 p. 1.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1923. pp. 28-29.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1924. p. 35.
- ↑ Navy Directory 1 January, 1924 p. 2.
- ↑ Navy Directory 1 April, 1926 p. 2.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1925. pp. 30-31.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 28.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 26.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1935. p. 26.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1939. p. 24.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1947. p. 436.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1917. p. 36.
- ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
- ↑ Burlington Free Press 21 June, 1919 p. 3.
- ↑ Evening Star (Washington, DC) 14 December, 1919 p. 33.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1922. pp. 28-29.
- ↑ Baltimore Sun 17 December, 1921 p. 1.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1927. p. 28.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1929. p. 26.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1938. pp. 22-23.
- ↑ Register of Officers, 1939. p. 24.
