A HIGHLY IMPORTANT
R.N.A.S. ‘Armoured Cars’
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE
GROUP of FOUR
ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (1st Type Military) , 1914 Mons Star and Bar Trio, with M.I.D.
To: LIEUT COMMANDER. FELIX RUMNEY SAMSON. R.N.A.S. / R.N.V.R.
(A rare early gallantry decoration, awarded before the introduction of the Military Cross)
Felix Rumney Samson was the brother of non other than Charles Rumney Samson the famous and perhaps infamous ‘boss’ of the entire RNAS. Both Felix and Charles along with a third brother were the instigators, designers and promoters of the famous RNAS armoured car division which saw so much exciting service both in the early months of WW1 in Antwerp and also in Egypt and Russia later in the war. They all served with great distinction and Felix received his MBE for his gallantry in Antwerp when he took on a group of Germans with a hand held rifle while street to street fighting on his motorcycle! Felix was very greatly involved with the procurement and design of the early armoured cars which were built on commandeered engine and chassis units from the Rolls Royce Motor Company. Felix Samson is mentioned in many chapters of his brother Charles’ book “Fights and Flights” (A memoir of the RNAS in WW1). Felix also served with his two brothers in Gallipoli and also on HMS RIVIERA one of the world’s first seaplane carriers. His brother Charles was the first man ever to fly an aircraft from a ship !After the war Felix Samson was a director of ‘The Weston Novelty Company’ a London fancy goods, gifts and toy business and did much transatlantic sea travel to The United States in the 1920’s and 1930’s . He is seen buying a ticket No.45593 from Cunard for a voyage to from Southampton to New York on the ‘SS AQUITAINIA’ on 1St January 1936.
A superb early WW1 gallantry group to an historically important officer.
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