Charles Samson
| Charles Rumney Samson | |
|---|---|
Samson alongside an aircraft in May 1914
|
|
| Born |
8 July 1883 Crumpsall, Manchester |
| Died | 5 February 1931 (aged 47) Salisbury, Wiltshire |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |
Royal Navy (1897–1918) Royal Air Force (1918–1929) |
| Years of service | 1897–1929 |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Commands held |
No. 6 Group (1924–26) RAF Mediterranean (1921–23) No. 4 Group (1918–19) RNAS Great Yarmouth (1917–18) HMS Ben-my-Chree (1916–17) No. 3 Wing RNAS (1915) No. 3 Squadron RNAS (1914–15) Naval Wing RFC (1912–14) Naval Air Station Eastchurch (1911–12) |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
| Awards |
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order & Bar Air Force Cross Mentioned in Despatches (2) Knight of the Legion of Honour (France) Croix de guerre (France) |
Air Commodore Charles Rumney Samson, CMG, DSO & Bar, AFC (8 July 1883 – 5 February 1931) was a British naval aviation pioneer. He was one of the first four officers selected for pilot training by the Royal Navy and was the first person to fly an aircraft from a moving ship. He also commanded the first British armoured vehicles used in combat. Transferring to the Royal Air Force on its creation in 1918, Samson held command of several groups in the immediate post-war period and the 1920s.
Samson was born in Crumpsall, Manchester on 8 July 1883 the son of Charles Leopold Samson, a solicitor, and his wife Margaret Alice (née Rumney).
Samson entered HMS Britannia as a cadet in 1896, before becoming a midshipman in the Royal Navy in 1898. In the 1901 Census he is listed as a midshipman aboard the battleship HMS Victorious. He was promoted Sub-Lieutenant in 1902 and the following year served on HMS Pomone in the Persian Gulf and Somaliland. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 30 September 1904 while serving as an officer on boys' training ships.
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