10 Facts About Edmund Hakewill-Smith

Edmund Hakewill-Smith was educated at the Diocesan College in Rondebosch, Cape Town, and, during the First World War, he went to England to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Scots Fusiliers, a line infantry regiment of the British Army, on 16 June 1915.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith served with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment on the Western Front, where he was wounded twice and, during the final Hundred Days Offensive in the latter half of 1918, was awarded the Military Cross.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith later served as an adjutant to the 2nd Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers between 1927 and 1930, and was a student at the Staff College, Quetta from 1932 to 1933.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith later served on the staff of the War Office from 1934 to 1936.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith was promoted to temporary brigadier on 30 March 1941, and commanded the 157th Infantry Brigade until late March 1942, when he was promoted to the acting rank of major-general.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith then became Director of Organization at the War Office, before assuming command of the 155th Infantry Brigade in mid-February 1943.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith commanded the 52nd Division during the last few months of the campaign in North-West Europe from October 1944 until May 1945.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1944 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1945.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith served as the Honorary Colonel of the Royal Scots Fusiliers from 1946 to 1957.

Edmund Hakewill-Smith died in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey in 1986 at the age of 90.