British Army Officers 1939-1945 -- S

British Army Officers
1939-1945

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

St. John, S.
to
Small, O.A.

Smith, A.F.
to
Symons, C.D.

A.F. Smith to C.D. Symons

Smith,
Sir Arthur Francis
A.F. Smith

12.09.1890
-
08.08.1977

2nd Lt.	03.09.1910 [12914]
...	...
Maj.Gen.	01.10.1939, seniority 19.07.1938
A/Lt.Gen.	15.04.1941-05.04.1942, 18.02.1944-26.02.1944
T/Lt.Gen.	27.02.1944-(01.1946)
local Lt.Gen.	16.06.1942-17.02.1944

KCB 1946 (CB 01.04.1941); KBE 1942; DSO 1918; MC
MID 01.04.1941, 08.07.1941, 30.12.1941
Order of Kutzov 2nd class 21.07.1944

03.09.1910			commissioned, Coldstream Guards
...	-	...	...
24.09.1939	-	30.09.1939	Major-General, General Staff, Middle East
01.10.1939	-	14.04.1941	Deputy Chief General Staff, Middle East
15.04.1941	-	29.03.1942	Chief General Staff, Middle East
01.06.1942	-	17.02.1944	General Officer Commanding, London District
18.02.1944	-	(01.1946)	Commander-in-Chief, Persia & Iraq

Smith,
Archibald William Anthony
A.W.A. Smith

Married (23.04.1942) Malise Joy Wilson (14.09.1913-1994), daughter of Hon. Guy Greville Wilson, and Avery Buxton; two sons.

03.08.1906
St George Hanover Square district, London
-
02.1989
Central Leicestershire

2nd Lt.	30.08.1926 [36872]
Lt.	30.08.1929
Capt.	19.02.1937
A/Maj.	02.09.1939-01.12.1939
T/Maj.	02.12.1939-02.02.1940, 11.06.1940-29.08.1943
Maj.	30.08.1943
A/Lt.Col.	25.05.1942-29.06.1942, 04.08.1944-27.09.1944
T/Lt.Col.	28.09.1944-(01.1946)
Lt.Col.	09.11.1947 (retd 03.11.1949)

DSO

01.03.1945

NW Europe

Education: Royal Military College, Sandhurst

30.08.1926			commissioned, Coldstream Guards
18.10.1930	-	09.05.1933	ADC to the Governor of Madras
(06.1933)			3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards (Wellington Barracks, for Chelsea Barracks)
(01.1937)			1st Battalion Coldstream Guards (Wellington Barracks)
20.01.1937	-	22.05.1937	specially employed, War Office
(01.1939)	-	02.02.1940	Captain, 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards (Aldershot)
03.02.1940	-	31.03.1940	Training Battalion, Coldstream Guards
01.04.1940	-	17.05.1940	Holding Battalion, Coldstream Guards
18.05.1940	-	04.06.1940	2nd Infantry Base Depot (British Expeditionary Force)
05.06.1940	-	14.04.1942	1st Battalion Coldstream Guards
15.04.1942	-	30.10.1942	Second-in-Command, Training Battalion, Coldstream Guards [from 25.05.1942-30.06.1942 Commanding Officer]
31.10.1942	-	03.08.1944	Second-in-Command, 4th (Tank) Battalion Coldstream Guards
04.08.1944	-	1945?	Commanding Officer, 4th (Tank) Battalion Coldstream Guards
01.07.1946	-	?	Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards

Smith,
Bernard Harry
B.H. Smith

Son of Henry F. and Nellie Smith; husband of Patricia May Smith, of Gloucester.

1916 ?
-
14.04.1945
(KIA) [age 29]
[Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany, 4.J.5]

Cadet	? [5186491]
2nd Lt.	28.04.1944 [315694]
Lt.	?

28.04.1944			commissioned, The Gloucestershire Regiment [emergency commission]
?	-	14.04.1945	.. Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment

Smith,
Cuthbert Brook

Married a Bermudian.

10.08.1915
-
1955
Kenya
(accident)

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	30.01.1936 [67179]
Lt.	30.01.1939
A/Capt.	16.04.1940-15.07.1940
T/Capt.	16.07.1940-17.12.1940, 20.03.1941-31.07.1942
WS/Capt.	01.08.1942
Capt.	30.01.1944
A/Maj.	01.05.1942-31.07.1942
T/Maj.	01.08.1942-05.06.1943, 18.06.1944-12.07.1944, 18.07.1944-27.06.1945
WS/Maj.	28.06.1945
Maj.	30.01.1949
A/Lt.Col.	28.03.1945-27.06.1945
T/Lt.Col.	28.06.1945-(04.1946), 05.05.1955-(08.1955)

Education: Royal Military College, Woolwich; Staff College, Camberley

30.01.1936			commissioned, The King's Shropshire Light Infantry
(1939)			posted to Bermuda [??]
(1954)			served Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry at Bermuda [??]

Smith,
Eric Edward
E.E. Smith

?
-

2nd Lt.	10.10.1942 [247469]
WS/Lt.	10.04.1943 (reld > 04.1946)
Hon. Capt.	01.01.1949

10.10.1942			commissioned, Royal Armoured Corps [emergency commission]
(06.)1944			Officer Commanding, 4 Troop, "C" Squadron 13th/18th Hussars (Normandy / NW Europe)
01.01.1949			Regular Army Reserve of Officers

Smith,
George Lewis Stanley
G.L.S. Smith

Son of Col. Stanley George Drew Smith, Royal Artillery.
Married (06.05.1926, Malta) Jessie Gertrude Blatch.

29.05.1892
-
died between
02.1957 and
02.1967

2nd Lt.	23.12.1911 [3010]
Lt.	23.12.1914
Capt.	08.08.1916
A/Maj.	17.06.1918-31.05.1919
T/Maj.	21.01.1920-31.03.1921
Maj.	01.10.1929
Lt.Col.	07.10.1938 (supernumerary 07.10.1941) (retd 14.03.1947)
A/ Col.	12.03.1941-11.09.1941
T/Col.	12.09.1941-06.07.1944
Hon. Col.	14.03.1947

	OBE	02.06.1923	HM's birthday 23
	MC	03.06.1919	HM's birthday 19 (service in Egypt)

World War I: British War Medal; Victory Medal

23.12.1911			commissioned, Royal Regiment of Artillery (Royal Garrison Artillery)
06.08.1917	-	13.06.1918	Adjutant, ... (Mesopotamia, 08.03.1916-03.05.1918; Egyptian Expeditionery Force, 04.05.1918-31.10.1918)
(1919)			attached 205th S. Battery
21.01.1920	-	31.03.1921	Deputy Assistant Controller, War Office (temporary)
01.04.1921	-	31.03.1923	Staff Captain, War Office (temporary)
08.04.1926	-	31.03.1929	Adjutant, ...
(03.1931)			3rd Medium Brigade RA (Longmoor)
(06.1933)			25th Gunnery Staff Course, The Military College of Science (Woolwich)
01.10.1934	-	12.01.1938	Major Instructor in Gunnery, Malaya
(01.1939)			RA Fixed Defences, Eastern Ports, Dover
01.01.1939	-	10.04.1941	Commanding Officer, 9th (Londonderry) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA (SR) *
12.03.1941	-	09.10.1941	Chief Instructor, British Military Mission to Egyptian Army

* Data provided by Mr Richard Doherty, author of the unit history.

Smith,
[Sir] Henry Abel
H.A. Smith

also known as:
Abel Smith, Henry

Elder son of Francis Abel Smith and Madeleine St. Maur. Married Lady May Cambridge (daughter of Alexander, Earl of Athlone), 23.10.1931; one son, two daughters. Brother of Brig. Alexander Abel Smith.

08.03.1900
St George
Hanover Square,
London
-
24.01.1993
[Winkfield,
Windsor, Berks.
?]

2nd Lt.	17.12.1919
Lt.	17.12.1921
Capt.	01.02.1930
Maj.	26.06.1934
A/Lt.Col.	29.07.1941-28.10.1941
T/Lt.Col.	29.10.1941-25.06.1944
Lt.Col.	26.06.1944
Hon. Col.	06.02.1950 (retd)

KCMG	1961	?
KCVO	1950	?
DSO	1945	?

Education: Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

17.12.1919			commissioned into the Royal Horse Guards
07.10.1925	-	06.10.1928	Adjutant
23.11.1928	-	20.01.1931	Aide-de-Camp to the Governor-General & Commander-in-Chief, South Africa (Earl of Athlone)
(07.1942)	-	(05.1945)	Commanding Officer, 2nd Household Cavalry Regiment
1946			Acting Colonel, Corps of Household Cavalry

Governor of Queensland, 1958-66; Administrator, Australian Commonwealth, during part of 1965.
DL Berks 1953. KStJ 1958. Hon. LLD Univ. of Queensland, 1962. Honorary Air Commodore, RAAF, 1966.

Smith,
John Norris
J.N. Smith

1923 ?
-
24.02.2007
Rhyl, North Wales
[age 84]

2nd Lt.	09.01.1943 [258504]
WS/Lt.	09.07.1943
T/Capt.	03.06.1945-(04.1946)
...	...
Lt.Col.	11.08.1960, seniority 01.04.1959

	OBE	?	?
	TD	?	?

09.01.1943			commissioned, Royal Regiment of Artillery [emergency commission]
?	-	30.09.1962	Territorial Army
30.09.1962	-	?	Territorial Army Reserve of Officers

JP, DL

Smith,
Kenneth Campbell Cory
K.C.C. Smith

From Nanchline, Ayrshire.

19.05.1907
-
died between
02.1967 and
02.1985

2nd Lt.	30.08.1926 [36875]
Lt.	30.08.1929
local Capt.	28.11.1936-20.12.1937
Capt.	21.12.1937
A/Maj.	12.10.1939-11.01.1940
T/Maj.	12.01.1940-15.05.1940, 29.08.1940-14.01.1942
WS/Maj.	15.01.1942
Maj.	30.08.1943
A/Lt.Col.	15.10.1941-14.01.1942
T/Lt.Col.	15.01.1942-22.11.1942, 19.04.1943-26.02.1944, 23.09.1944-(01.1946)
Lt.Col.	24.02.1947 (retd 15.02.1948)

	OBE	01.01.1974	for services to social welfare in Northern Ireland
	DSO	11.10.1945	NW Europe

30.08.1926			commissioned into the 12th Royal Lancers (Prince of Wales's)
01.04.1936	-	15.01.1939	Instructor, Military College of Science
16.01.1939	-	11.10.1939	Staff Captain
19.04.1943	-	26.02.1944	GSO1, 8th Corps
27.02.1944	-	22.09.1944	Second-in-Command, 15th (Scottish) Reconnaissance Regiment
23.09.1944	-	?	Commanding Officer, 15th (Scottish) Reconnaissance Regiment
24.02.1947			transferred to 16th/5th Royal Lancers
24.02.1947	-	15.02.1948	Commanding Officer, 16th/5th Royal Lancers
15.02.1948	-	06.06.1962	Regular Army Reserve of Officers

Smith,
Lawrence James
L.J. Smith

Son of John and Elisabeth Smith.
Husband of Winifred Smith, of Carshalton Beeches, Surrey; at least one son.

1908 ?
-
09.03.1942
[age 34]
[Beirut War Cemetery, Lebanon, 1.J.13]

2nd Lt.	13.10.1939 [103618]
Lt.	13.07.1940
Capt.	?
A/Maj.	?

13.10.1939			commissioned, Royal Army Service Corps [emergency commission]
			served in the Middle East

Smith,
Leslie William
L.W. Smith

?
-

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	21.12.1940 [164492]
WS/Lt.	21.06.1942
T/Capt.	24.03.1943-(04.1944)

?	-	21.12.1940	either 163rd or 167th Officer Cadet Training Unit
21.12.1940			commissioned, King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry [emergency commission]
			served 7th Battalion King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (became 149th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps) (was Squadron Commander during Battles of Imphal and Kohima, Burma Campaign)
22.10.1941			transferred, Royal Armoured Corps
(04.1944)			serving with Indian Army

Smith,
Ralph Beaumont
R.B. Smith

Married; one son, two adopted daughters.

25.07.1918
Huddersfield, Yorkshire
-
02.04.1994
Beckenham, Kent

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	04.10.1941 [210973]
WS/Lt.	01.10.1942
A/Capt.	15.10.1943-(04.1944)
T/Capt.	1944?

21.12.1944

Italy *

04.10.1941			commissioned, Royal Army Service Corps [emergency commission]
(1944)			328 Divisional Troops Company RASC

* [Citation for the MC of Capt. R.B. Smith]. On the 27th March 1944, a Jeep Platoon of 40 jeeps and trailers formed from 80 personnel drawn from all four companies of 78 Divisional RASC commenced deliveries of ammunition, supplies, and water to divisional units in the CASSINO – Villa Road, Cairo area. From the commencement of operations, and in order to mitigate to the full the inexperience on the part of the personnel of this type of operation Capt. Smith personally lead the greater majority of the details, and supervised the correct and expeditious deliveries of loads to units. Recovery work soon raised a problem since neither RASC or REME recovery vehicles could operate in parts of the area. Capt. Smith tackled this himself, and sometimes for the second time in the same night returned to the “circuit” and carried out recoveries, in the dark, without lights, with improvised equipment and with the aid of volunteer drivers whom he eventually trained for this work. Few nights passed without the “circuit” receiving in varying degrees, enemy shells and mortars, and on the 18th of April the location of the Platoon was shelled. Although badly shaken by blast during the subsequent shelling he personally supervised the evacuation of his wounded and then organized that night’s details. Throughout all this, for the month the Platoon was operating, Capt. Smith’s ceaselessness devotion to duty, disregard for personal safety, his coolness, leadership and example enabled all of this to be done, and made the operation of the Jeep Platoon the signal success that it was. [Recommendation signed by Maj. B.T. Broadbent (OC 328 Div Tps Coy RASC), Lt.Col. [Lyttelton?] (CRASC 78th Inf Div), Maj.Gen. C.F. Keightley (GOC 78th Inf Div) & Gen. H.R.L.G. Alexander (GOC-in-C Allied Central Mediterranean Force)] (Citation courtesy of Mr David Smith)

Smithers,
Eric
E. Smithers (Photo courtesy of Mrs Sara Steuart-Feilding)

Uncle of 2nd Lt. Peter Smithers.
Married; at least one daughter (Judith Anne Smithers, who married Cdr. Denys Evelyn Barton, RN).
Lived in Argentina pre-WWI, then again post-WWI until return to UK in 1923.

(03?).1886 ?
Chelmsford, Essex ?
-
?

T/2nd Lt.	1914?
T/Lt.	?
Lt.	15.05.1940 [128904]
T/Capt.	15.08.1940-(04.1941)
WS/Capt.	11.03.1943
T/Maj.	11.03.1943-(04.1946)

1914?			commissioned, Royal Field Artillery
04.06.1918	-	28.01.1919	special appointment (graded for pay II Class, from 03.10.1918 HH Class)
15.05.1940			commissioned, General List [emergency commission]
15.07.1940			transferred, Intelligence Corps
15.05.1940	-	10.12.1942	Intelligence Officer, Directorate of Military Intelligence, Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, War Office
11.12.1942	-	(04.1946)	General Staff Officer 2nd grade (GSO2), Directorate of Military Intelligence, Department of the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, War Office

Smithers,
Peter Henry
E. Smithers (Photo courtesy of Mrs Sara Steuart-Feilding)

Son of Malcolm Smithers (who is a younger brother of Maj. Eric Smithers), and Elsa Laun Smithers, of Hove, Sussex.

1918
-
31.05.1940
(KIA) [age 22]
[Bus House Cemetery, nr Ieper, Belgium, E.28]

Pte.	?
2nd Lt.	22.10.1939 [105076]

MID

Detail of memorial to Lt. P.H. Smithers (Photo courtesy of Mrs Sara Stuart-Feilding)

			served in the ranks, Artists Rifles (Territorial Army)
1939	-	21.10.1939	163rd Officer Cadet Training Unit
22.10.1939			commissioned, The East Surrey Regiment [emergency commission]
1939	-	31.05.1940	1/6th Battalion The East Surrey Regiment (killed in action at Voormezeele, Belgium)

Smuts,
Rt. Hon. Jan Christian
J.C. Smuts

24.05.1870
Bovenplaats, near Riebeeck West in the Malmesbury district of Cape Colony
-
11.09.1950
Doornkloof, Irene, near Pretoria

Hon. Lt.Gen.	01.01.1917
Field Marshal	24.05.1941

PC 1917; OM 1947; CH 1917; FRS 1930; KC 1906; DTD, DSc, LL.D.

...	-	...	...
1939	-	1948	Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs and Defence, Union of South Africa

Smyth,
John Montagu
"Monty"
J.M. Smyth

Married Rosamund, daughter of Maj W Harker of Blofield Hall, Norfolk; one daughter.

18.02.1905
Edgbaston, Kings Norton
-
16.11.1994
Perrina House Nursing Home, Malvern, Worcestershire

2nd Lt.	30.08.1924
Lt.	30.06.1926
Capt.	03.08.1936
A/Maj.	16.11.1940-15.02.1941
T/Maj.	16.02.1941-29.08.1941
Maj.	30.08.1941 (retd 28.11.1946)

MBE

1983

30.08.1924			commissioned, Royal Nrofolk Regiment
07.11.1936	-	15.02.1940	specially employed as Adjutant & Quarter-Master

Born in 1905 at Edgbaston he was the son of Captain JRH Smyth JP and represented Charterhouse and RMC Sandhurst in the 100 yds and 200 yds sprints. Commissioned into the Norfolk Regt in 1924, he served in Bermuda, Egypt, Shanghai and India before posting to the Depot, Britannia Barracks where he was Adjutant in 1936. He was Adjutant and Quartermaster the Royal Militia, Jersey 1936-1940 before posting to the 6th Bn The Royal Norfolk Regt in 1940 with whom he trained in Norfolk, Scotland and Cheshire as OC B Coy. Proceeding overseas with 18th Division via Nova Scotia, the West Indies, Cape Town and Mombasa he landed in Singapore on 13 January 1942 and was in action 2 days later on the Malayan Mainland. Cut off and under Command of Lt Col Alan Cubitt, the Bn were ordered to take to the jungle and endeavour to 'get back'. By a lucky contact with the Royal Navy it was evacuated to Singapore on 31 January and reformed but after the attack on the island was ordered to lay down its arms on 14 February 1942. In Changi the 18th Division Officers Club was formed but after the war the word officers was dropped and it became a dining club, meeting annually, alternately in Cambridge and London. Monty became its Secretary from 1947-1982 and President in 1982. Retiring in 1946 to his origins in Worcester he built up a pedigree Jersey herd. A great and accurate shot, he devoted the next 40 years to Parochial, Rural District, County Council, Country Landowners Association and Police Authority Committees. He became High Sheriff of the County of Worcester in 1966, a Trustee of local Almshouses and schools, a General Commissioner of Income Tax and in 1983 he was made MBE for Public Services.

Snook,
Robert James Bracher
R.J.B. Snook

08.07.1899
Nottingham,
Nottinghamshire
-
died between
02.1967 and
02.1985

2nd Lt.	23.01.1919 [18062]
Lt.	23.01.1921
Capt.	23.01.1932
Maj.	01.08.1938
T/Lt.Col.	?
Lt.Col.	01.01.1946 (supernumerary) (retd 27.01.1949)

DSO	08.07.1941	Middle East 12.40-02.41
MID	01.04.1941	Middle East 08.39-11.40
MID	06.06.1946	gallant & distinguished services in the field

Iraq (1919-20) Medal & Clasp; Palestine (1936-39) Clasp

23.01.1919			commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery
03.06.1920	-	22.11.1920	Cipher Officer, Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force & Iraq Expeditionary Force
(03.1931)			1st Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery (Newport, Mon.)
13.12.1931	-	12.12.1935	Adjutant, 71st (West Riding) Field Brigade RA (Territorial Army) (Sheffield, UK)
(01.1937)			21st Mountain Brigade (Peshawar, India)
(01.1939)			20th Mountain Regiment RA (Quetta, India)
			served Middle East
27.01.1949	-	08.07.1954	Regular Army Reserve of Officers

Somerset,
John Alexander
J.A. Somerset

Son of Henry Robert Somers Fitzroy de Vere Somerset (1898-1965) and Bettine Violet Malcolm, of East Meon, Hampshire.

01.01.1925
-
15.04.1945
Stadensen,
Germany
(KIA) [age 20]
[Hanover War
Cemetery,
Germany, 7.D.12]

2nd Lt.	21.11.1943 [300848]
WS/Lt.	21.05.1944

Education: Eton College, Eton, Berkshire

21.11.1943			commissioned, The Coldstream Guards [emergency commission]
13.04.1944	-	15.04.1945	4th Battalion The Coldstream Guards (NW Europe [killed in action])

Somerville,
James Rumsey
J.R. Sommerville

13.06.1913
-
12.1984
Bromley, Kent

Cadet	?
2nd Lt.	18.05.1940 [130169]
WS/Lt.	18.11.1941
T/Capt.	11.12.1941
WS/Maj.	16.09.1945 (reld < 04.1946)
Hon. Maj.	< 04.1946
Maj. RARO	01.01.1949
Hon. Lt.Col.	01.01.1949

TEM

25.03.1949

18.05.1940			commissioned, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders [emergency commission]
01.01.1949			Regular Army Reserve of Officers

Somerville-McAlester,
Angus James Jervis
J.R. Sommerville

10.09.1907
-

2nd Lt.	01.09.1927 [38727]
Lt.	01.09.1930
Capt.	22.05.1936
A/Maj.	02.09.1940-01.12.1940
T/Maj.	02.12.1940-19.09.1943
WS/Maj.	20.09.1943
Maj.	01.09.1944
A/Lt.Col.	20.06.1943-19.09.1943
T/Lt.Col.	20.09.1943-(04.1946)
Lt.Col.	10.08.1949 (supernumerary 10.08.1952) (retd 04.06.1954)

	DSO	28.06.1945	Burma
	DSO	12.07.1945	Burma

01.09.1927			commissioned, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
?	-	?	Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders