Desmond Smith (general)

Major-General James Desmond Blaise "Des" Smith, CBE, DSO, CD (2 October 1911 – 11 October 1991) was a senior Canadian Army officer active in World War II, fighting in the Italian Campaign and Northwest Europe.
Smith was born in Ottawa, Ontario on 2 October 1911. He studied at the Royal Military College of Canada and graduated in 1933. On graduation he was promoted to lieutenant and attached to the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He served in the infantry, and was called overseas in 1940 as a staff officer with the 1st Canadian Infantry Division, then stationed in the United Kingdom. He became a brigadier in 1943 and commanded the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade in both the Italian and Northwest Europe Campaigns. He returned to Canada in 1945, and took over command of the Royal Military College. During the 1950s, he commanded Canadian forces in Europe as part of NATO. He retired in 1962, to start work in the private sector, eventually moving to England. He retired in 1986, and died in London a few days after his 80th birthday in 1991.

Captain Smith's World War II overseas service began when the Royal Canadian Dragoons were sent to England, as part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division. Smith earned his promotion from captain to major due to breaking the rules. He was ordered to get winter gear for troops that would be deployed in Norway. Finding nothing suitable, he just ordered proper gear from a company named Lilywhite's. Smith was summoned to appear before Major-General McNaughton because of the unauthorized expense; but instead of having to pay personally for the bill, he received a promotion. He ended his wartime career as Brigadier-General of the 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade.

Between 1945 and his military retirement in 1962, Smith held several positions in Canada and the United Kingdom. His first peace time job was at his alma mater the Royal Military College. He commanded the college till 1947. In the period 1958-1962, Smith was Adjutant-General of the Canadian Army in Ottawa. In the mean time he held, amongst others, the position as chairman of the Canadian Joint Staff with the NATO. He was forced to leave the Army on Prime Minister John Diefenbaker's instance, due to an extra-marital affair that became public knowledge.

Smith moved to England in 1962. After several minor jobs he joined Pillar Holdings in 1964. He was responsible for the enigineering branch of that company: Pillar Engineering Limited. In 1986 he reteried from his civil job, only to be appointed as the first Canadian member of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Smith was married twice, first Miriam Blackburn, until her death in 1969, and then to Belle Shenkman, a member of the Order of Canada. He had two sons from his first marriage, James and Stephen George Smith. He died in a hospital in London, England on 11 October 1991. There was first a memorial in London, and then a state funeral in Canada's capital city, Ottawa.