William Douglas Smith
Sir William Douglas Smith | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Walter Stoneman, 1918 | |
| Born | William Douglas Smith 24 March 1865 Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Died | 4 February 1939 (aged 73) Kensington, London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
Branch |  British Army |
Service years | 1885–1924 |
Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | Royal Scots Fusiliers |
| Commands | 56th (1/1st London) Division |
Conflicts | World War I |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order |
Major-General Sir William Douglas Smith KCB KCVO (24 March 1865 – 4 February 1939) was a British Army officer who became Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.[1]
Military career
[edit]Smith was the son of Lt.-Col. Andrew William Douglas Smith, Royal Marines and Myra Elizabeth Luxmoore, an artist.[1] After attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Smith was commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers as a lieutenant on 29 August 1885.[2][3] He took part in the Burma expedition in 1886, was promoted to captain on 14 November 1894, and took part in the Tirah campaign in 1897.[2] He was made an adjutant in September 1898.[4]
He was promoted to major on 14 December 1902,[5] while serving with the 1st Battalion of his regiment stationed in Allahabad, British India.[6] He was appointed a brigade major in India in 1905 and, on 1 July 1911, after being promoted to lieutenant colonel,[7] served as commanding officer (CO) of the 1st Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers.[2]
He served in the First World War, being promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general on 11 November 1914[8] and taking command of the 9th Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd Division, which was serving on the Western Front. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in February 1915.[9][10] He was promoted to substantive colonel on 1 July 1915, although with his seniority dating back to 14 December 1914.[11] On 8 March 1916 he was promoted to temporary major general[12] and became general officer commanding (GOC) of the 20th (Light) Division, and then as GOC 56th (1/1st London) Division, both of which were also serving on the Western Front.[2] After receiving a promotion to the substantive rank of major general in January 1917, "for distinguished services in the field",[13] he took command of the 56th Division on a temporary basis between 24 July and 9 August 1917 after his predecessor, Major General Charles Hull, had been taken ill and until a permanent appointment could be made.[14]
After the war he became commander of Portsmouth Garrison and then lieutenant governor of Jersey before relinquishing this appointment in March 1924[15] and retiring from the army the same month.[2][16]
Family
[edit]He married Kathleen Edith Beyts and had one daughter.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Obituary: Maj.-Gen. Sir William Douglas Smith – Conspicuous Success in Action". The Times. 6 February 1939. p. 14.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Smith, Sir William Douglas". Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives. Archived from the original on 1 October 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- ↑ "No. 25506". The London Gazette. 28 August 1885. p. 4083.
- ↑ "No. 27004". The London Gazette. 13 September 1898. p. 5433.
- ↑ "No. 27515". The London Gazette. 13 January 1903. p. 237.
- ↑ Hart′s Army list, 1903
- ↑ "No. 28510". The London Gazette. 4 July 1911. p. 4935.
- ↑ "No. 29042". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 January 1915. p. 582.
- ↑ "No. 29074". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 February 1915. p. 1692.
- ↑ "No. 29086". The London Gazette. 2 March 1915. p. 2091.
- ↑ "No. 29213". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 June 1915. p. 6414.
- ↑ "No. 29537". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 April 1916. p. 3679.
- ↑ "No. 29886". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 1916. p. 15.
- ↑ The Tactical Development of the 56th (London) Division on the Western Front 1916 to 1918
- ↑ "No. 32930". The London Gazette. 25 April 1924. p. 3346.
- ↑ "No. 32921". The London Gazette. 25 March 1924. p. 2531.
- 1865 births
- 1939 deaths
- British Army major generals
- Military personnel from Plymouth, Devon
- Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath
- Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Royal Scots Fusiliers officers
- Governors of Jersey
- British Army generals of World War I
- British military personnel of the Third Anglo-Burmese War
- British military personnel of the Tirah campaign
- People from Stonehouse, Plymouth
- 19th-century British Army personnel
- Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst