Merton Beckwith-Smith
| Merton Beckwith-Smith | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nickname(s) | "Becky" |
| Born | 11 July 1890 Chelsea, London, England |
| Died | 11 November 1942 (aged 52) Karenko Concentration Camp, Formosa / Taiwan |
| Buried | Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch |
 British Army
|
| Years of service | 1910−1942 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit |
Coldstream Guards Welsh Guards |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards 1st Guards Brigade 18th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Croix de Guerre Mentioned in dispatches (2) |
Major-General Merton Beckwith-Smith DSO MC MA (11 July 1890 – 11 November 1942) was a senior British Army officer during both the First and Second World Wars.
Beckwith-Smith was born on 11 July 1890, and educated at Eton and Oxford. In 1910 he was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards. He served with the Guards throughout the First World War, eventually becoming a staff officer in the Guards Division. On 4 October 1914, whilst 1st Guards' Brigade was holding trenches opposite the German line at the River Aisne, Beckwith-Smith was ordered by Charles FitzClarence to carry out a night time raid against a German position known as 'Fish Hook Trench'. This was the first British trench raid of the First World War. Beckwith-Smith was still just a lieutenant at the time and the raid was considered to be a striking success.
After attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1921 to 1922, in 1930 Beckwith-Smith transferred to the Welsh Guards; he commanded the 1st Battalion from 1932 to 1937. After this he held various district commands in India before the outbreak of the Second World War.
In 1940, during the Second World War, he was given command of the 1st Guards Brigade, part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) sent to France in 1939/1940. After the Battle of France and the subsequent retreat to Dunkirk, from where he was evacuated to England, Beckwith-Smith was given command of the Territorial 18th Infantry Division which he trained in preparation for duty overseas.
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