Naval Aviation 8 – RNAS in the Dardanelles

 
In March 1915 Samson was sent to the Dardanelles with No 3 Squadron and, together with seaplanes from HMS Ark Royal, initially provided the only Allied air cover. His squadron pioneered the use of radio in directing the fire of battleships and photo-reconnaissance. Samson flew many missions himself and became well known for waving cheerily to the Allied troops in the trenches below.

On 14 May 1916, Samson was given command of HMS Ben-my-Chree, a former Isle of Man passenger steamer which had been converted into a seaplane carrier.

HMS Ben-my-Chree

In almost continuous action through the rest of 1916, Samson received a signal from the Admiralty asking why Ben-my-Chree had used so much ammunition; he replied “that there was unfortunately a war on”. The Ben-My-Chree was eventually sunk on 11 January 1917 by Turkish gunfire.

From November 1917 until the end of the War, Samson was in command of an aircraft group at Great Yarmouth responsible for anti-submarine and anti-Zeppelin operations over the North Sea.

In 1919 he gave up his naval commission and received instead a permanent commission in the RAF with the rank of group captain. He went on to become Chief Staff Officer of the RAF’s Middle East Command. Retiring on account of ill health in 1929, he died in 1931.