Benjamin Abraham Samson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vice Admiral
B A Samson
PVSM
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|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Chippy |
| Born | 25 September 1916 Poona, Bombay Presidency, British Raj (now in Maharashtra, India) |
| Died | 18 March 2008 (aged 91) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Allegiance |  British Raj India |
| Service/ |
 Royal Indian Navy Indian Navy |
| Years of service | 1931-1966 |
| Rank | _OF-8.svg){kind=small}  Vice Admiral |
| Commands held | Indian Fleet INS Delhi (C74) HMIS Sutlej (U95) HMIS Jumna (U21) HMIS Prabhavati |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards |  Param Vishisht Seva Medal |
| Relations | Leela Samson (daughter) |
| Other work | CEO, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Chairman, CII Philips India Vice Chairman, Damodar Bulk Carriers |
Vice Admiral Benjamin Abraham 'Chippy' Samson (born September 25, 1916 – died March 18, 2008) was a very important officer in the Indian Navy. He led the entire Indian Fleet (a group of warships) from 1964 to 1966. He was also the first Navy officer to be in charge of the National Defence Academy, which trains future military leaders. His daughter, Leela Samson, is a well-known Bharatanatyam dancer.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Benjamin Samson was born on September 25, 1916, in Poona (now Pune) in India. His family was part of the Bene Israel community, which has roots in the Konkan area near Mumbai. Benjamin was the seventh of ten children. He went to St. Vincent's High School in Poona. After finishing school, he joined the Navy.
In 1927, a special training ship called the Indian Mercantile Marine Training Ship (IMMTS) Dufferin was started. It helped young men prepare for a career at sea. Samson joined the Dufferin in December 1931 and finished his training in December 1934. After that, he worked as a cadet for the British India Steam Navigation Company.
World War II Service
When World War II began in September 1939, Benjamin Samson joined the Royal Indian Navy as a Sub-lieutenant. He served on patrol vessels like HMIS Dipavati and later commanded HMIS Laxmi.
He also served on the frigate HMIS Indus, which helped protect other ships in the Red Sea. Later, he moved to another frigate, HMIS Hindustan. This ship helped escort troops from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Rangoon (now Yangon). Samson then went to England for special training in how to fight submarines. After his training, he was assigned to the light cruiser HMS Newcastle.
After India's Independence
When India became independent, Samson was a Lieutenant Commander. He was the commanding officer of HMIS Sutlej (U95). In 1948, he became an acting Commander and was appointed as the first Naval Adviser to the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom in London. He worked there until 1950. During this time, he helped buy a destroyer called HMS Rotherham, which became the destroyer INS Rajput (D141) for the Indian Navy.
In 1951, Samson became the Commander (Executive Officer) of the Indian Navy's main ship, the cruiser INS Delhi (C74). Later, he became the Chief of Personnel at the Naval Headquarters in New Delhi. In 1953, he was promoted to Captain.
Leading Ships and Fleets
In 1954, Captain Samson returned to sea and became the Flag Captain of INS Delhi (C74). This meant he was the captain of the main ship for the Flag Officer Commanding (Flotilla) Indian Fleet. He commanded INS Delhi for three years.
Becoming a Rear Admiral
In 1958, Samson was promoted to acting Rear Admiral. He became the first Navy officer to be the Commandant of the National Defence Academy (NDA). The NDA is a very important place that trains officers for all three branches of the Indian armed forces. He was officially promoted to Rear Admiral in 1962.
In 1963, while still studying in London, he was chosen to lead the entire Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF). Rear Admiral Samson took command of the Indian Fleet in January 1964. He said that commanding the fleet was the "perfect culmination" of his naval career. He flew his flag on his old ship, INS Delhi, before moving to the newer INS Mysore (C60). For his excellent work as FOCIF, he received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 1966.
After leading the Indian Fleet for about two and a half years, Samson retired from the Navy in November 1966.
After retiring from the Navy, Benjamin Samson had a very successful career in business. He became the CEO of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders from 1966 to 1973. During his time there, he led an important project to build frigates (a type of warship) in India. The first Indian-built frigate, INS Nilgiri, was built by Mazagon Dock and given to the Indian Navy. The then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, officially launched INS Nilgiri in 1972. Because of his amazing work on this project, Samson was given the honorary rank of Vice Admiral in 1972.
He also served as the Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the Chairman of Philips India, and the Vice Chairman of Damodar Bulk Carriers.
