-H.M.S. Hood Crew Information-
H.M.S. Crew List

It is estimated that as many as 18,000 men served aboard the 'Mighty Hood' during the operational portion of her 21 year career. Unfortunately, there is no surviving official single listing of ALL men who served in her. Here you will find our attempt at creating such a listing. We are using the few, fragmentary crew lists known to exist, Navy Lists, various official reports, public records, and most importantly of all, inputs from the families of former crew.

Chainbar divider


Samuel Campbell

Photo of
Date of birth: 15th March 1888
Place of birth: Kircubbin, County Down, Northern Ireland
Previous occupation: Telegraph Messenger
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Chief Yeoman of Signals
Service Number: 231968
Joined Hood: 20th May 1923 (Yeoman of Signals)
Left Hood: 29th August 1926 (Chief Yeoman of Signals)







Biographical Information: A telegraph messenger as a teenager, Samuel Campbell joined the Royal Navy on 17th August 1904, at the age of 16, as a Boy Second Class. Less than eight months later, he was selected for the demanding signalling branch, becoming a 'Signalman' on reaching his 18th birthday on 15th March 1906. At that point, his 'Man's Time' began, and he signed on for 12 years' service, later signing on again to complete the full 22 years' adult service required to earn an immediate pension. His base port was Devonport (Plymouth.)

Samuel joined HMS Hood as a Yeoman of Signals (Petty Officer rate) on 15th May 1923, and so he participated in the round-the-world 'Empire Cruise' of 1923-4. A keen amateur photographer, Samuel compiled a copious personal photographic record of that trip, although none of his photos include him, and few show the ship. One photo of Hood's fo'c'sle, taken at speed, is shown below. While still in Hood, Samuel was selected for promotion to Chief Yeoman (Chief Petty Officer rate.)

After leaving the Navy to pension on 14 March 1928 - the day before his 40th birthday - Samuel returned to his native Northern Ireland and joined HM Coastguard, stationed first in Portmuck, Co Antrim and then Ballywalter, Co Down. He retired in November 1949 when he was Station Officer in Ballywalter.





History of ships served in and ratings held:


Date FromDate toShipRatingSource
17th August 190422nd March 1905EmeraldBoy 2nd ClassADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
23rd March 190524th May 1905EmeraldBoy 1st ClassADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
25th May 190515th September 1905Vivid IBoy 1st ClassADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
16th September 190514th March 1906PyramusBoy 1st ClassADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
15th March 19063rd May 1906PyramusSignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
4th May 190630th September 1906Powerful (Sydney N E)SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
1st October 190611th July 1907PyramusSignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
12th July 190722nd August 1907PioneerSignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
23rd August 19073rd October 1907CrescentSignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
4th October 190715th March 1908Vivid ISignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
16th March 190821st March 1909Vivid IISignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
22nd March 190922nd August 1909DefianceSignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
23rd August 19093rd May 1910Vivid IISignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
4th May 191016th November 1910Vivid ISignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
17th November 191016th December 1910Vivid ILeading SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
17th December 191030th June 1913BristolLeading SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
1st July 19139th January 1914Vivid ILeading SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
10th January 191417th August 1915Blake (Sheldrake)Leading SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
18th August 19158th August 1916Blake (Mandate)Leading SignalmanADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
9th August 191615th December 1916Blake (Mandate)Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
16th December 191627th May 1918Greenwich (Plover)Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
28th May 191817th July 1918Greenwich (Peregrine)Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
18th July 19187th February 1919Greenwich (Norman)Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
8th February 191915th February 1919Greenwich (Sabre)Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
26th January 192011th April 1921Vivid IYeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
12th April 192121st July 1922CambrianYeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
22nd July 192219th May 1923Vivid IYeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
20th May 192324th July 1926HoodYeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
25th July 192629th August 1926HoodChief Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
30th August 192630th September 1926Vivid IChief Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
1st October 192627th November 1927EagleChief Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea
28th November 192714th March 1928Vivid IChief Yeoman of SignalsADM188/410
via WW1 Lives at Sea



Additional Photos



Samuel Campbell (top right) in the training establishment HMS Vivid.




The ship's company of HMTB86. Samuel Campbell is at top right.




Hood pushes on at high speed in the North Atlantic, heading for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Photo by Samuel Campbell.




HM Coastguard training at Portmuck. Samuel Campbell nearest the camera.




Memorials
No known memorials



Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
The Empire Cruise by VC Scott O'Connor
ADM188/410 via WW1 Lives at Sea
Mr David Little, grandson, photos and information 2021.