Humphrey Hugh Smith

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Vice-Admiral Humphrey Hugh Smith, D.S.O., Royal Navy, Retired (17 November, 1875 – 27 September, 1940) was an officer of the Royal Navy.

Early Life & Career

On 15 October, 1896, he was confirmed in the rank of Sub-Lieutenant, dated 14 June, 1895.[1]

He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant dated 31 December, 1897.[2]

Smith was promoted to the rank of Commander dated 31 December, 1909.[3]

Smith was promoted to the rank of Captain with seniority of 30 June, 1915 and re-appointed in command of the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Virginian. He left her on 16 June, 1916 and was sent to Portsmouth to await his next appointment, which arrived at the end of the month when he was placed in command of the armed merchant cruiser Alsatian, and as Flag Captain to Vice-Admiral Commanding, Tenth Cruiser Squadron.[4]

For his service under Tupper, Smith was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (D.S.O.) on 21 April, 1917.[5]

On 14 September, 1918, he was appointed in command of the new aircraft carrier Argus.[6]

He was appointed a Naval Aide-de-Camp to the King on 1 March, 1926, vice Pound.[7] He was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 9 July, vice Hardy, and placed on the Retired List the following day.[8] He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 1 April, 1931.[9]

World War II

Smith was sent to Liverpool to serve as a Commodore of Convoys in the rank of Commodore, Second Class, R.N.R.. He was briefly with the London Convoy Pool in 1940 before being sent back to Liverpool in July. He would be killed later that year aboard the steamer Manchester Brigade when she was torpedoed by U-137.[10]

Bibliography

  • "Fallen Officers" (Obituaries). The Times. Monday, 4 November, 1940. Issue 48764, col D, p. 7.
  • Smith, Vice-Admiral Humphrey Hugh, D.S.O. (1932). A Yellow Admiral Remembers. London: Edward Arnold & Co..
  • Smith, Vice-Admiral Humphrey Hugh, D.S.O. (1936). An Admiral Never Forgets: Reminiscences of thirty-seven years on the active list of the Royal Navy. London: Seeley, Service & Co. Limited.

Service Records

Naval Appointments
Preceded by
Charles W. Chipp
Captain of H.M.S. Conflict
27 May, 1905[11] – 13 Mar, 1906
Succeeded by
Albert M. H. Phillips
Preceded by
Cecil E. Rooke
Captain of H.M.S. Seagull
10 Nov, 1908[12] – 1 Jan, 1910[Inference]
Succeeded by
Marcus F. B. Whyte
Preceded by
Herbert N. Garnett
Captain of H.M.S. Virginian
c. Apr, 1915
Succeeded by
Michael H. Wilding
Preceded by
George Trewby
Captain of H.M.S. Alsatian
6 Mar, 1916[13]
Succeeded by
Charles William Keighly-Peach
Preceded by
New Command
Captain of H.M.S. Argus
14 Sep, 1918[14] – 31 Jul, 1920[15][16]
Succeeded by
Anselan J. B. Stirling
Preceded by
James R. P. Hawksley
Captain in Charge, Portland
29 Mar, 1923[17] – May, 1925[Inference]
Succeeded by
Charles T. Hardy
as Commodore-in-Charge, Portland

Footnotes

  1. The London Gazette: no. 26787. p. 5724. 20 October, 1896.
  2. The London Gazette: no. 26924. p. 7855. 31 December, 1897.
  3. The London Gazette: no. 28325. p. 29. 4 January, 1910.
  4. Smith Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/44/148. f. ?.
  5. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 30029. p. 3819. 18 April, 1893.
  6. The Navy List. (September, 1919). p. 731.
  7. The London Gazette: no. 33144. p. 2109. 23 March, 1926.
  8. The London Gazette: no. 33183. p. 4709. 16 July, 1926.
  9. The London Gazette: no. 33706. p. 2332. 10 April, 1931.
  10. Uboat.net page on the man.
  11. The Navy List. (November, 1905). p. 295.
  12. The Navy List. (January, 1910). p. 373.
  13. The Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 400w.
  14. The Navy List. (July, 1920). p. 727.
  15. The Navy List. (July, 1920). p. 727.
  16. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 727.
  17. The Navy List. (April, 1925). p. 283.