Henry Victor Hudson
Captain (retired) Henry Victor Hudson, O.B.E., (21 October, 1883 – 12 July, 1934) was an officer in the Royal Navy.
Life & Career
Hudson was born in Hawkhurst, Kent. He gained three months seniority on passing out of Britannia and received his first appointment dated 15 January, 1900 to the Mediterranean Fleet's battleship H.M.S. Canopus. The demands of the climate took their toll and Hudson was invalided on 11 March 1901 with Mediterranean fever and sent to Haslar Hospital, where he was admitted on the 24th. He was discharged on 4 April, to be resurveyed later. On 1 July he was deemed fit, to receive Home service appointments, initially, to avoid a recurrence. 8 July brought him an appointment to the battleship Hannibal of the Cruiser Squadron.[1]
Hudson failed in two attempts at the seamanship exam in June and September 1903. He was to be granted a third trial, narrowly passing in December with 690 of 1,000 marks. He entered the Royal Naval College on 19 January, 1904.[2]
Hudson was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 30 June, 1906 while serving once again back in the Mediterranean in the gunboat Dwarf. Though he continued to serve in Dwarf another six months in lieu of a Sub-Lieutenant, Hudson would be rewarded with a string of four torpedo boat and T.B.D. commands, ending with command of the Bullfinch at the end of 1910.[3]
Hudson was next appointed to Cochrane and the old Revenge in 1911 and early 1912. On 14 March, 1912 he was once again given a destroyer command, Eden of the Home Fleet. In August, he was sent to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla, first as captain of Success before being placed in command of the Thrasher on 14 October.
Hudson was appointed to the new dreadnought battleship Ajax on 22 September, 1913, in which he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 30 June, 1914.[4]
Great War
Hudson remained in Ajax until he was superseded on 17 November, 1915. His skills were needed in command of the Grand Fleet's destroyer ranks, however, and he was appointed to the new Grampus Class minelaying submarine Narwhal on 10 February 1916, to assume command upon her commissioning.
Hudson commanded Narwhal at the Battle of Jutland, where she operated with the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla.[5]
On 15 December, 1917, Hudson faced a Court Martial on the grave charge that he "did cowardly abandon" ships of a convoy. Luckily for him, the charge was not proved.[6]
Hudson left Narwhal when he was superseded on 11 April, 1918. He was appointed to the destroyer Brisk in May 1918 to take command when she commissioned, on 28 May.[7]
Post-War
On 11 April, 1919, he was appointed in command of the destroyer Senator.[8]
Hudson was promoted to the rank of Commander on 31 December, 1920.[9]
Hudson was placed on the Retired List at his own request with the rank of Captain on 4 August, 1930.[10]
See Also
| Naval Appointments | ||
| Preceded by William G. A. Shuttleworth |
Captain of H.M. T.B. 111 27 Jul, 1908[11] |
Succeeded by Arthur M. Longmore |
| Preceded by Reginald B. C. Hutchinson |
Captain of H.M.S. Thrasher 14 Oct, 1912[12] |
Succeeded by Douglas W. Hamilton-Gordon |
| Preceded by New Command |
Captain of H.M.S. Narwhal 10 Feb, 1916[13] – 28 May, 1918[14] |
Succeeded by Robin W. M. Lloyd |
| Preceded by Algernon E. P. Lyons |
Captain of H.M.S. Brisk 28 May, 1918[15] – 21 Jan, 1919[16][17] |
Succeeded by Wilfred A. Higgins |
| Preceded by Kenneth C. Helyar |
Captain of H.M.S. Senator 11 Apr, 1919[18] |
Succeeded by Ernest R. Archer |
| Preceded by Gerald H. Brady |
Captain of H.M.S. Foxglove 18 Oct, 1922[19] |
Succeeded by Thomas I. S. Bell |
Footnotes
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 34, 45.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 745.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 862.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ Hudson Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/49. f. ?.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1908). p. 399.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1913). p. 386.
- ↑ The Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 395v.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). pp. 745, 851.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 745.
- ↑ The Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 745.
- ↑ The Navy List. (June, 1919). p. 745.
- ↑ The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 862.
- ↑ The Navy List. (July, 1924). p. 240.
