Desmond Smith (general), Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetDesmond Smith (general)
Canadian general
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
About 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 5th 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.
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