| Sir William Smith | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | William Douglas Smith |
| Born | 24 March 1865 Stonehouse, Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Died | 4 February 1939(1939-02-04) (aged 73) Kensington, London, England |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1885–1924 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Royal Scots Fusiliers |
| Commands | 56th (1/1st London) Division |
| Battles / wars | 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.
Military career
Smith was the son of Lt.-Col. Andrew William Douglas Smith, Royal Marines and Myra Elizabeth Luxmoore, an artist. After attending the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Smith was commissioned into the Royal Scots Fusiliers as a lieutenant on 29 August 1885. 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. He was promoted to major on 14 November 1902, while serving with the 1st battalion stationed in Allahabad, British India. He was appointed a Brigade Major in India in 1905 and Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers in 1911.
He served in World War I as commander of the 9th Infantry Brigade, as general officer commanding (GOC) 20th (Light) Division, and then as GOC 56th (1/1st London) Division in France. After receiving a promotion to the permanent rank of major general in January 1917, "for distinguished services in the field", he took command of the 56th Division on a temporary basis between 24 July 1917 and 9 August 1917 after his predecessor had been taken ill and until a permanent appointment could be made.
After the war he became commander of Portsmouth Garrison and then Lieutenant Governor of Jersey before retiring in 1924.
Family
He married Kathleen Edith Beyts and had one daughter.
References
- ^ "Obituary: Maj.-Gen. Sir William Douglas Smith – Conspicuous Success in Action". The Times. 6 February 1939. p. 14.
- ^ "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. 27515". The London Gazette. 13 January 1903. p. 237.
- Hart′s Army list, 1903
- "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
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byCharles Hull | GOC 56th (1/1st London) Division July 1917 – August 1917 |
Succeeded byFrederick Dudgeon |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded bySir Alexander Wilson | Lieutenant Governor of Jersey 1920–1924 |
Succeeded bySir Francis Bingham |
- 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