John Jarvis-Smith
John Jarvis-Smith | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Frederick Smith 15 March 1924 Streatham, London, England |
| Died | 15 May 2015 (aged 91) Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Occupation(s) | Shipbroker and oil trader |
| Known for | Second World War service |
John Frederick Jarvis-Smith
Smith was born in south London into modest circumstances but early in life showed leadership potential and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1941. He served in landing craft during the Second World War and saw action off Sword Beach on D-Day and in Operation Infatuate where he earned his DSC after originally being mistaken for an officer killed in action who was also by the name of Smith. He later changed his surname to Jarvis-Smith.
After the war he worked in oil-trading and shipbroking and in retirement divided his time between Wiltshire and the French Riviera with his partner Roger Cave where he got to know the "Riviera set". He spent his last years in Scotland where he was active in the Conservative Party and in raising funds for charity.
Early life
John Smith was born on 15 March 1924 in
Second World War
Smith joined the RNVR in 1941 as an ordinary seaman and was promoted to
During Operation Infatuate, landing craft and other naval vessels were tasked with drawing enemy fire away from troops landing onshore at a breach in the German defences.[4] The tactic was successful but at great cost to the Allied vessels, the majority of which were either sunk or damaged. During the action, Smith, as he was still known, was sent to the wireless room by his commander while the rest of the officers remained on the bridge.[3] The bridge was then hit by enemy shelling and Smith discovered that all the officers had been killed or wounded.[3] Soon afterwards, the wireless room and the engine room were also hit by enemy fire.[3] Smith took control of the landing craft and manoeuvred it on one engine next to a hospital ship where the wounded were taken aboard.[3]
In March 1945, he discovered in The London Gazette that he had been mentioned in despatches as one of those serving with "gallantry and great devotion to duty in the assault on Walcheren, in which operation they lost their lives”.[3][6] It was found that the Admiralty had confused Smith with Lieutenant Leonard George Smith.[4] A correction was published and John Smith upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).[3] In 1971, in order to avoid future confusion, he officially changed his name to John Jarvis-Smith.[4]
In December 1944, Smith was given command of a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) used to convey relief supplies to the city of Caen, which had been badly damaged in the advance from Normandy after D-Day, including an upright piano donated in England.[4]
Career
After the war, Smith entered the shipbroking business by joining the firm of
Later life
During his retirement, Jarvis-Smith lived in a
In 1990, Jarvis-Smith and Cave moved to Crossmichael in Scotland where he was chairman of the local Conservative Party. He opened their garden to visitors to raise funds for the party and other causes such as the National Trust for Scotland and the Red Cross. His interests included ballet, the opera, and horse racing.[3]
Jarvis-Smith died in Edinburgh on 15 May 2015.[3] He received obituaries in The Daily Telegraph,[4] The Herald,[2] and The Scotsman.[3]
References
- ^ "John Jarvis-Smith DSC". The Streatham Society. Archived from the original on 29 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ a b Steven, Alasdair (25 May 2015). "John Jarvis-Smith". The Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Obituary: John Jarvis-Smith DSC, sailor, shipbroker and oil trader". www.scotsman.com. 30 May 2015. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "John Jarvis-Smith, shipbroker - obituary". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Adrian R. "Landing craft". www.britannica.com. Britannica. Archived from the original on 21 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ "No. 36970". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 March 1945. p. 1265.
- ^ Petroleum Intelligence Weekly, Vol. 24 (1985), p. 12.
- ^ "At home with the Riviera set". The Scotsman, 14 November 2003. Archived at the Waybackmachine. Retrieved 30 July 2022.