View source for Cecil Henry Hulton Sams

{{CaptRN}} (retired) '''Cecil Henry Hulton Sams''' (9 March, 1883 &ndash; 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 {{UK-1Britannia}} term of August, 1897, his 1249 marks placing him thirty-sixth in merit among the sixty-three candidates accepted as naval cadets.{{NMI|Friday, Aug 13, 1897; pg. 8; Issue 35281}}

In 1900, while appointed to the {{UK-2Aurora|f=t}}, he participating in storming the Taku Forts.

Sams was promoted to the rank of {{LieutRN}} on 31 December, 1904.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

In June 1907 he received an appointment as first officer in the {{UK-Sentinel|f=t}}, but he was invalided in November with rheumatism.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

In 1909 while serving as first officer in the {{UK-Algerine|f=t}}, he was awarded 4th class Assistant Surveyor pay, having recently been thanked for a survey of Takara[?] Bay.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

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 {{UK-Triumph|f=t}} with an ocular disease.  In October, he received his next appointment, as first officer in the {{UK-Forward|f=t}}.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

He left ''Forward'' for an appointment in the {{UK-Russell|f=t}} in mid-August 1912.  In this ship he received his promotion to the rank of {{LCommRN}} on 31 December, 1912.  On 6 January, 1914 he was made first officer in the {{UK-Woolwich|f=t}}.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

Sams was appointed in command of the {{UK-1Defender|f=t}} on 2 October, 1914.{{NLJan15|p. 301}}  He would involve this ship in no fewer than three collisions.

In January 1915, ''Defender'' collided with {{UK-Druid}}.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

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 {{UK-1Defender}}, resulting in damage to his destroyer.  In October, he was blamed for yet another collision, this time with a Swedish steamer.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/143/25.|}} f. 26.</ref>

In March, 1916, Sams was appointed in command of the {{UK-Obdurate|f=t}}.{{NLFeb19|p. 854}}  He commanded her as part of the {{UK-DF|13}} at the [[Battle of Jutland]].{{UKJutlandOD|pp. 34, 46, 224}}

Sams was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} on 30 June, 1917.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>

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 {{UK-Obdurate}} and {{UK-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 {{DE-U82}}. 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.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>

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."<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>

On 11 January, 1921, Sams was appointed in command of the {{UK-Shamrock|f=t}}.{{NLJan21|p. 863}}  In June, 1921, he was appointed in command of {{UK-Veteran}}.  Captain Rose's inspection of {{UK-Veteran}} on 31 December, 1921 was satisfactory "but hair of ship's company too long in many cases and room for improvement in drills."<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>

Sams was placed on Retired List at his own request on 24 January, 1923 and subsequently promoted to Captain (retired) on 9 March, 1928.<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>

==See Also==
{{refbegin}}
* [http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_rv=simple&_q=ADM+Cecil+Henry+Hulton+Sams Service Records]
* [[Thirteenth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland]]
{{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecil_Henry_Hulton_Sams}}
{{refend}}

<div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}}
{{TabNaval}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Walter John Fletcher|Walter J. Fletcher]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Defender (1911)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Defender'']]'''<br>2 Oct, 1914{{NLOct15|p. 393''i''}} &ndash; Mar, 1916|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Laurence Reynolds Palmer|Laurence R. Palmer]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Laurence Reynolds Palmer|Laurence R. Palmer]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Obdurate (1916)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Obdurate'']]'''<br>Mar, 1916{{NLFeb19|p. 854}} &ndash; 26 May, 1919|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Charles William Vane Tempest Stewart Lepper|Charles W. T. V. S. Lepper]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry Percy Boxer|Henry P. Boxer]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Shamrock (1918)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Shamrock'']]'''<br>11 Jan, 1921{{NLJan21|p. 863}} &ndash; Jun, 1921|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Colin Charles Lucas Mackenzie|Colin C. L. Mackenzie]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Walter Herman Gordon Fallowfield|Walter H. G. Fallowfield]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Veteran (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Veteran'']]'''<br>Jun, 1921<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref> &ndash; 2 Jan, 1922<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[William Jock Whitworth|William J. Whitworth]]'''}}
{{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edward McConnell Wyndham Lawrie|Edward McC. W. Lawrie]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Witherington (1919)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Witherington'']]'''<br>3 Jan, 1922<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref> &ndash; Jan, 1923<ref>Sams Service Record.  {{TNA|ADM 196/126/179.|}} f. 179.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Eric Quintin Carter|Eric Q. Carter]]'''}}
{{TabEnd}}
</div name=fredbot:appts>

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sams, Cecil Henry Hulton}}

{{CatPerson|UK|1883|1931}}
{{CatCapt|UK}}
{{CatBritannia|September, 1897}}
{{CatRN}}