Philip Lionel Saumarez DSC, RN
| Born | 1904 | ||
| Died | 1995 | (91) |
| Ranks
Retired: 5 Nov 1956 Decorations
|
Warship Commands listed for Philip Lionel Saumarez, RN
| Ship | Rank | Type | From | To |
| HMS Ilex (D 61) | Lt.Cdr. | Destroyer | 1 Jan 1938 | 30 Dec 1940 |
| HMS Queenborough (G 70) | Cdr. | Destroyer | Sep 1944 | 28 Oct 1945 |
Career information
As a junior officer he became a submariner, later transferring to destroyers. His first command was HMS Wolfhound. Following HMS Ilex, he joined CinC Home Fleet's staff. He then in 1943 joined the Plans Division in the Admiralty to work on the Naval Plans ffor D Day. Subsequently he joined HMS Scylla (Capt Brownrigg RN), the Invasion Naval headquarters ship as the executive officer. HMS Scylla was crippled by a mine in July 1944 and was then scrapped. He went in command to the Queenborough for the last 8 months of the Pacific War. He was promoted as Captain in 1947 and commanded the "Rhine Flotilla" based in Cuxhaven. He last seagoing command was Captain(D) of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla in HMS Crispin. His last appointment was director of the Naval Tactical School at Woolwich. On leaving the Navy, he worked in Armstrong Whitworth, later (Hawker-Syddley) and was involved in development of the Seaslug anti-aircraft missile for the County class destroyers. On final retirement, he moved to Guernsey, the origin of the Saumarez family and became a cabinet maker of some distinction. He died in 1995, aged 91.
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Events related to this officer
Destroyer HMS Ilex (D 61)
13 Oct 1939
German U-boat U-42 was sunk south-west of Ireland, in position 49°12'N, 16°00'W, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Imogen (Cdr. E.B.K. Stevens, RN) and HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, RN).
14 Oct 1939
HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, RN) picks up all survivors from the British merchant Lochavon that was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat U-45 about 230 miles southwest of Fastnet in position 50°25'N, 13°10'W.
27 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Console Generale Liuzzi was scuttled south-east of Crete in position 33?36'N, 27?27'E after being depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).
29 Jun 1940
On 29 June 1940 around 0615hours the Italian submarine Argonauta (offsite link) was probably sunk near Cape Ras el Hilal, Libya in position 35?16'N, 20?20'E by the British destroyers HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) and the Australian destroyer HMAS Voyager (Lt.Cdr. J.C. Morrow, RAN).
It is also possible the Argonauta was depth charged and sunk around 1450hours that same day by Sunderland L5804 (R.A.F.) in position 37?29'N, 19?51'E.
29 Jun 1940
The Italian submarine Uebi Scebeli was sunk south-west off Crete by the British destroyers
HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, RN) and HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN).
19 Jul 1940
Action off Cape Spada;
The Australian cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, RAN) and the British destroyers HMS Hasty (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO, RN) and HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN) were on a sweep into the Aegean Sea. They were sent to intercept two reported Italian cruisers. In the action that followed, the Italian light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni is halted off Cape Spada, at the north west tip of Crete, by Sydney's gunfire. Later she was finished off with torpedoes from the destroyers. The Italian light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere manages to escape.
17 Aug 1940
In the early morning the British battleships
HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN) the British heavy cruiser
HMS Kent (Capt. D. Young-Jamieson, RN) escorted by the British destroyers
HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Mohawk (Cdr. J.W.M. Eaton, RN), Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Hostile (Lt.Cdr. A.F. Burnell-Nugent, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Diamond (Lt.Cdr. P.A. Cartwright, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN) and the Australian destroyers
HMAS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, RAN), HMAS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Lt.Cdr. R. Rhoades, RAN) carried out a bombardment of Italian positions around the fortress of Bardia.
8 Oct 1940
Operation MB-6;
A British convoy with the merchants Memnon (7506 GRT), Lanarkshire (11275 GRT), Clan Macauley (10492 GRT) and Clan Ferguson (7347 GRT) left Alexandria for Malta on 8 October 1940. This convoy was escorted by the British Anti-Aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta (Capt. D.M. Lees, DSO, RN), HMS Coventry (Capt. D. Gilmour, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMS Stuart (Capt. H.M.L. Waller, DSO, RAN), HMS Voyager (Cdr. J.C. Morrow, DSO, RAN), HMS Waterhen (Lt.Cdr. J.H. Swain, RAN) and the British destroyer HMS Wryneck (Cdr. R.H.D. Lane, RN).
Cover was provided by the Mediterranean Fleet (Admiral Cunningham) with the British battleships HMS Warspite (Capt. D.B. Fisher, CBE, RN), HMS Valiant (Capt. H.B. Rawlings, OBE, RN), HMS Malaya (Capt. A.F.E. Palliser, DSC, RN), HMS Ramillies (Capt. H.T. Baillie-Grohman, OBE, DSO, RN), the British aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious (Capt. D.W. Boyd, DSC, RN), HMS Eagle (Capt. A.R.M. Bridge, RN), the British heavy cruiser HMS York (Capt. R.H. Portal, DSC, RN), the British light cruisers HMS Gloucester (Capt. H.A. Rowley, RN), HMS Liverpool (Capt. P.A. Read, RN), HMS Ajax (Capt. E.D. McCarthy, RN), HMS Orion (Capt. G.R.B. Back, RN), the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney (Capt. J.A. Collins, CB, RAN)escorted by the British destroyers HMS Hyperion (Cdr. H.St.L. Nicolson, DSO and Bar, RN), HMS Havock (Cdr. R.E. Courage, DSO, DSC, RN), HMS Hero (Cdr. H.W. Biggs, DSO, RN), HMS Hereward (Lt.Cdr. C.W. Greening, RN), HMS Hasty, (Lt.Cdr. L.R.K. Tyrwhitt, RN), HMS Ilex (Lt.Cdr. P.L. Saumarez, DSC, RN), HMS Imperial (Lt.Cdr. C.A.deW. Kitcat, RN), HMS Jervis (Capt. P.J. Mack, DSO, RN), HMS Janus (Cdr. J.A.W. Tothill, RN), HMS Juno (Cdr. W.E. Wilson, RN), HMS Nubian (Cdr. R.W. Ravenhill, RN), HMS Dainty (Cdr. M.S. Thomas, DSO, RN), HMS Decoy (Cdr. E.G. McGregor, DSO, RN), HMS Defender (Lt.Cdr. St.J.R.J. Tyrwhitt, RN) and the Australian destroyers HMAS Vampire (Cdr. J.A. Walsh, RAN) and HMAS Vendetta (Cdr. R. Rhoades RAN).
The convoy was not spotted and arrived safe at Malta on 11 October. The only damage sustained was to the destroyer HMS Imperial that was mined off Malta and was out of action for over 6 months.
While on the return trip the Mediterranean Fleet was sighted by an Italian aircraft. The Italian Navy tried to intercept them in the Ionian Sea. In the night of 11/12 October the first Italian torpedo boat flotilla with Airone, Alcione and Ariel attacked HMS Ajax. The attack failed and Ajax sank Airone and Ariel, Alcione escaped. A little while later the Italian 11th destroyer flotilla, with Artigliere, Aviere, Camicia Nera and Geniere arrived at the scene. They were surprised by the radar-directed gunfire from HMS Ajax. Artigliere was heavily damaged and Aviere was slightly damaged. Camicia Nere tried to tow Artigliere away but she was sighted by a British Sunderland aircraft that homed in 3 Swordfish aircraft from HMS Illustrious. However, the torpedoed they fired didn't hit the Italian ships. Later the British heavy cruiser HMS York arrived at the scene. Camicia Nera quickly slipped the towing line and sped off. After her crew had left the ship Artiglire was sunk by York.
While the Mediterranean Fleet was still on the return trip aircraft from HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle attacked Leros and in the evening of the 14th the British light cruiser HMS Liverpool while south-east of Crete was hit in the bow by a torpedo from an Italian aircraft. The cruiser was heavily damaged and was repaired at the Mare Island Navy Yard in the USA. HMS Liverpool was not operational again until January 1942.