THE NAME OF HOOD.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1924, Page 4

THE NAME OF HOOD.

17-11-1910. By David Le Roi, in a Sdyney paper) With the presence in Sydney barhour of the British Special Squadron, under the leadership of 11..M.5. Hood, it is fitting that some mention should !)-• made of the four officers who haw borne that name with honour and ditinetion in the annul* of Britain’s naval glory. First of the name to earn fame for Britain and himself was Samuel, son of Samuel Mood, vicar of liutlcigh. Somersetshire, and Prebendary ol Wells. The future Admiral, who was horn in 1721. entered tlie Royal Navy :is a eautnin’s servant on May (ith, 17-11. latter he became a .seaman, and in 17-1.. was appointed as a midshipman to Rodney’s ship, the Ludlow. At the age of 22 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant.

In 1793 he was given the command of tite sloop Jamaica, and despatched to the North American station, where three years later he attained the rank of post captain. The next year he was in the waters nearer home, and while in temporary ci-mmaml of the Antelope of .'»(> guns, he drove a French ship ashore in Auilierne Bay, olf the (oast ol France, at ilie same time capturing two of the enemy’s privaieer«.

Two years later, as the captain of the Vestal (32 gtiusi. lie engaged with the French ship Bclloua. .of the same armament, and alter a sharp action capiurcil Ills opnnnelit. In 177 S I loud ace qilcd a command w hich usually terminate.l an officer’s active career; he h'.-i ame commissioner of the dockyard at I’mtsmoiilh and Governor of the Naval Academy. On the occasion of the visit of George 111. to I’orsimoiith in 1780, Hood received a baronetcy. At that period in Engli-h history circtinistam es were not ordinary. Many admirals icfusoil altogether to serve under Lord Sandwich, who was head of alfairs. Rodney, who at that time commanded in tlie We-t Indies, had cntnpl.iilled of the lack ol proper support from his subordinates, whom he accused of ili.-nerrlion. Tic Admirably. naturally anxious in secure the services of trustworthy flag officers, and placing every conlidenee in Hood, who was personally known to Rodney, promoted him—contrary to usage —to toe rank of rear-admiral n:i September 23. 17-11. The hope that lin.il and Rodney would work together in perfect hai molly was not altogether insli.icd by results. Hood, however, always discharged his duly punctiliously. There is no doubt that if Hood had been allowed to choose his own laities and position lie would have siifcoi’dctl in preventing tic Conipte tie Grasse (1772 17'-') ilooi reaching tort Ib-va! in Moil with rrinfonenicni ■ IT run France. When the tier! went (.11 I !i>> North Amelie:in coast (lining the hurricane months of 1781 Hoad was sent lo solve under Admiral Graves ■ I 72-T-18';3-. in an unsuccessful .tl tempt to relieve the armv at York-

town. \Ylnoi Hood ret unit’d to the West Indie- ho had a.'i independent command, as llodney win hack in England on account of ill-health. The French Admiral. d<- Grasse, attacked St Kits and Xcvi- with a force much superior i to the squadrc-i (oinmaiided hv llood and the attempt whit h the Englishman made with his tig ships against the Freui-lmi.-in’s I?'.t to prevent the islands' capline was not successful. Later, however, a series of hold movements. l.y which llem! first turned the French ut of their anchorage at Basse Terra. St Kits, at the same time heating off the attack of Hie enemy, were the most hriliianL achievements of any British admiral during the war. With the outbreak of the war with France iti 17fh'l. he was given the command of the British fleet iti the .Mediterranean, and. in Align! of the same year lined occupied Toulon at the invitation of the French Loyalist-, and with the co-operation of the Spaniards. In December . Hie allies Mere driven out of their position. partly due Ln the di.-sensi.ui in their iniii-t. Out mainly as the result ul the general-ship of Xapolca't. In 175*1 Hood had been created full admiral, ami a peerage of Great Britain was conferred on his wife in )7B"i. while a year later the Admiral was made Viscount Hood of V.’hitely. and appointed governor cf .Grec-nwii h Hospital, which post lie held until hi j; death ill IM-l. Yis.-ouni Hood's titles descended through his son Henry (I “ot’-lS.'Vi) to the piv- ni holder. Silt SAMUEL 11001). On a hill near Biilleigh. in Somer-set-hire there is a lofty column erected ia the memory of Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel llood. who died in far away .Madras in ISM. This Samuel Hood, was horn in 17a cousin of Lord Hood, and of Lord Bridport. He entered the I loyal Navy in 17 <O, and lirst smelt gunpowder at the engagement off Usliant in 1775. Shortly af-

terwrirds he Was transferred to the- . West Indies, .where he was present under the command of'‘his cousin, Viscount flood, at all the engagements which culminated in the victory achieved hv llodncy on April 12, 1732. When lie was in the Juno his gallant rescue of some shipwrecked seamen earned for him a vote of thanks and a sword of honour from the Jamaica Assembly. Early in 1763 the Juno went to the Mediterranean under the command of Hood, her commander distinguishing himself by an audacious feat of daring and coolness in extricating his vessel from Toulon, which lie had entered in ignorance of his cousin—the admiral’s departure. Shortly afterwards he was appointed to the command of a frigate squadron, in order to protect the Levantine trade. In 17D7 he was given the Zealous, of 7-1 guns, in which . ship lie was present at Nelson’s unsuccessful attack on Santa Cruz. At the Battle of the Nile the part played by the Zealous was a brilliant one. The first opponent her commander engaged with he put out of action in twelve minutes, and, passing on, immediately engaged with other ships, one. the Gurrierc, being left powerless to fire a shot. When Nelson left the coast of Egypt Hood commanded tin* blockading force of Itoseita and Alexandria.

on September 2!!, 1,30-1, while it command of a squadron blockading llocliefort. Hood had a sharp light with a small french detachment which was trying to escape. Among the few casualties in this engagement was Commodore Hood, who lost an arm. A few days after the action lie was promoted rear-admiral. In 1307 llearAdliliral Hood was entrusted with the operations against .Madeira, which he hrought to a successful close. A year later lie hoisted his Hag on the ship Centaur, and left to take part in tinwar between llussia and Sweden. In one of the actions in which he was en-

gaged the Centaur and the Implacable. unsupported by the Swedish ships, which lay to leeward, cut out the Kussiaii ship Sevolod, of SO guns, from the enemy’s lines, and alter a desperate and bloody light, forced her to haul down her flag. As a reward Hood was invested by the Swedish King with the ''Grand Cross ol the Order of the Sword,” anil the British Government me.de him a baronet. Later tin- Admiral was present in (he roads of Corunna at the embarkation of the forte of Sir John -Moore. In 1311 he was promoted to the rank of vice-admiral. In his last command, that of the EasL India station, Sir Samuel Hood carried out many salutary leforms, particularly in matters relating to discipline and viotiutUjng. In Isll Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood passed away at .Madras, after having served his country so nobly anil well CAI’TAIN A LEX AN i) I’M ’ HOOD. An elder brother of Sir Samuel Hood lias an Ausiralian appeal, as he accompanied Captain Cook on Ins second voyage round the world. This brother, Alexander Hood, was horn m 1773. and etnered the Boya! Xavv in 171 w. lie served with distinction under Howe and lloiliiey in the least Indies, and like his brother Sir Samuel was present, at Kodney’s victory of April 12. 1752. in command of one oi the Admiral's frigates. I'nder Sir Samuel, Alexander proiceded to the .Mona passage, where he caplured the l-’iencli corvette Ceres. In |in.- early nart el Hie Ilevohitionar\ war. ill-heeltii pi-evented Captain Hood from taking any active part in evenls, and il was lint until I7!b that In- initial himself alloat once more.

Hi- !ir.-t experience of renewed set - - lice was a hitter one. as in the Spil-ln-ad mutiny his ship, the .Mars, had had tin iiviubl- prominence. I lien in tin- dusk of April 21, 17515. occurred the famous duel between the -Mars and the Fr-utcli vrs.-el H-.otiil'-, near line dn Bn\. Until ships welt- equal as far as numbers in gun- and crew wen i.o!!i coned, i-tit the Hen nle was handicapped in being new l.i <oin!iii' sinned. At the end (I i:\er an hour’s lighting the Frenchman struck his ihig, after having 10-t over 3!lff men. Captain llowd was mortally wounded carlv hi the engagem ni. an I expired ns the sword of (lie French eoiniuander. L'llei'iti'.T, who also died of liis wound.-, va- placed in ins hands. Thus the name of Hood was graven once more n kritain’s roil of fame. In the latter part of tlie last century. and during 1 1>* early years ol the presold century, the glorious name of Hood was upheld by Horace. Lambert Alexandre Hood, who was horn on Octoher 13,0. Horace Hood was a lineal dc-ceinlclit ol the lir-l Vi-rutiut, whose deeds have been i-lir. nii-led above, an.l entered the iloval Navy at the age of 13, an;l was promt ted to lieutenant in IS'.'tl. From IS!>7 to I -i’S lie saw service on the Nile, and as a reward for activities wtts made a commander. In 153)3 lie wa- promoted captain, and sorted in the Somaliland expedition, with such di-tinc.tic.n that he was dciorated with the n.s.o. At the battle of Jutland, on May 31, !!!](!. Horace Hood's flagship, iho Itivincilbe. was struck and her commander went down with his face to the foe like his ancestor 11$ years

before. Such are the main facts about the men who have made the name famous which to-day is borne by the mightiest of Britain’s battleships.