Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Michael Conolly Abel Smith, (3 December 1899 – 3 December 1985) was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

officer who served during the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

World Wars A world war is an international conflict which involves all or most of the world's major powers. Conventionally, the term is reserved for two major international conflicts that occurred during the first half of the 20th century, World WarI (1914 ...

Family

Conolly Abel Smith (as he was usually known) was the second son of Eustace Abel Smith, JP, a banker of Longhills House,

Branston, Lincolnshire Branston is a large village in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, south-east of Lincoln on the B1188 road to Sleaford. It is the principal settlement in the civil parish of Branston and Mere, population 4,019 (in the 20 ...

, and Aileen Geta Katherine Conolly, the daughter of Colonel

John Augustus Conolly Lieutenant Colonel John Augustus Conolly VC (30 May 1829 – 23 December 1888), born in Celbridge, County Kildare, Ireland, was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the e ...

, VC.

Naval career

Abel Smith entered the

Royal Naval College, Osborne The Royal Naval College, Osborne, was a training college for Royal Navy officer cadets on the Osborne House estate, Isle of Wight, established in 1903 and closed in 1921. Boys were admitted at about the age of thirteen to follow a course lasting ...

, in September 1912, at the age of 13, continuing his training at

Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

. From 1915 he served aboard the battlecruiser , receiving promotion to

sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

on 15 May 1918, and to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 15 May 1920. On 16 June 1924 Abel Smith was attached to the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

, who were in control of all naval aviation at that time, with the rank of flying officer, to attend

No. 1 Flying Training School The No. 1 Flying Training School (1 FTS) is the oldest military pilot training school in the world, currently used to deliver rotary training to aircrew of the British armed forces. History First formation (1919 – 1928) On 23 December 1919 ...

Netheravon Netheravon is a village and civil parish on the River Avon and A345 road, about north of the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, South West England. It is within Salisbury Plain. The village is on the right (west) bank of the Avon, opposite Fit ...

, Wiltshire. From 23 October 1925 he was stationed at HMS ''Columbine'', the naval base at

Port Edgar Port Edgar is a marina on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth, immediately west of the Forth Road Bridge and the town of South Queensferry, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally a naval base, HMS Lochinvar (shore establishment), HMS ''Lochinvar ...

in the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

, then from 3 April 1926 served as the Flight Commander of No. 403 Flight

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

aboard the carrier on the

China Station The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941. From 1831 to 18 ...

, receiving promotion to

flight lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

on 1 January 1928 and to

lieutenant-commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

on 15 May 1928. From 3 March 1929 he served aboard the

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

, and from 20 March 1930 on the carrier in the

Mediterranean Fleet The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...

, firstly as the Flight Commander of No. 408 Flight, then as Squadron Commander of Fighter Squadron 802 FAA. He was promoted to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also ...

on 1 January 1933 and

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on 30 June 1933. From 14 May 1934 Abel Smith attended a tactical course at

Portsmouth Naval Base His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is lo ...

, and from 3 September 1934 he served in the Naval Air Division of the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong *Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Traf ...

in London. On 8 December 1936 he was appointed commanding officer of the cruiser in the Mediterranean, receiving promotion to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

on 1 January 1937. From 2 January 1939 he was attached to the Admiralty, serving as Naval Equerry to

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. In August 1939 he was appointed Commander (Flying) in the carrier which was sunk by a U-boat on 17 September 1939 off the south coast of Ireland, losing half her complement. He received promotion to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 30 June 1940. From 5 July 1940 Abel Smith served as Commanding Officer of , the Royal Naval Air Station at

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

. In January 1942 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the

escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slow type of aircraft ...

, and received a

Mention in Despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

for his efforts during the invasion of North Africa ("

Operation Torch Operation Torch (8 November 1942 – Run for Tunis, 16 November 1942) was an Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War. Torch was a compromise operation that met the British objective of secu ...

"). He returned to shore duty in July 1943 to serve as commander of HMS ''Heron'' (RNAS Yeovilton). From 28 March 1944 he was the Assistant Naval Attaché (from 26 September 1944 the Naval Attaché) and the Naval Air Attaché at the British Embassy, Washington, D.C. () until early 1946. On 24 June 1946 Abel Smith was appointed

flag captain In the Royal Navy, a flag captain was the captain of an admiral's flagship. During the 18th and 19th centuries, this ship might also have a "captain of the fleet", who would be ranked between the admiral and the "flag captain" as the ship's "First ...

of the carrier , serving until May 1949. On 8 July 1949 he was promoted to

rear-admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarded ...

. From 1950 to 1951 he served as Vice-Controller (Air), Chief of Naval Air Equipment and Chief Naval Representative to the

Ministry of Supply The Ministry of Supply (MoS) was a department of the UK government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. A separate ministry, however, was responsible for aircr ...

. On 2 February 1953 he was appointed

Flag Officer, Royal Yachts The Flag Officer, Royal Yachts, (FORY) also styled Flag Officer Commanding Royal Yachts was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1884 to 1997. History Royal yachts have been a feature of the monarchy since at least 1660, during this perio ...

(FORY), serving as commanding officer of , and as the Flag Officer of Royal Navy, Commonwealth and foreign warships and RFAs forming the Royal Squadron when the Queen or other members of the royal family were embarked, receiving promotion to vice-admiral on 1 September 1952. Abel Smith retired on 14 February 1958 and was appointed

Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire This is a list of people, who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Selkirkshire. The office was replaced by the Lord Lieutenant of Roxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale in 1975. * Charles Montagu-Scott, Earl of Dalkeith 17 March 1794 – 1797 * Franc ...

on the 16th, serving until 1975. He also served as a

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

, and as an Extra Naval Equerry to Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

Personal life

On 28 December 1932 Abel Smith married Lady Mary Elizabeth Carnegie (1899–1996), daughter of

Charles Carnegie, 10th Earl of Southesk Charles Noel Carnegie, 10th Earl of Southesk JP DL (20 March 1854 – 10 November 1941), was a Scottish nobleman. Early life Carnegie was the son of the explorer and poet James Carnegie, 9th Earl of Southesk and his first wife Catherine Hamilto ...

, at St Andrew's Church,

Brechin Brechin (; gd, Breichin) is a city and former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin was described as a city because of its cathedral and its status as the seat of a pre-Reformation Roman Catholic diocese (which continues today ...

. They had one daughter (b. 1936) and one son (b. 1939).

Cultural references

Conolly Abel-Smith has been portrayed on screen by

Adrian Lukis Adrian Leonard Fellowes Lukis (born 28 March 1957) is an English actor who has appeared regularly in British television drama since the late 1980s. His most recent notable appearances have been as Sergeant Doug Wright in the police drama ser ...

in the second season of ''The Crown''.

Awards and honours

* Companion of the

Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(CB), 7 June 1951 * Grand Cross of the

Royal Victorian Order The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

(GCVO), 1 January 1958 * Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO), 25 May 1954 * Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO), 13 June 1946 Also: * Commander 1st class of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

(Denmark), May 1957 * Grand Cross of the Military

Order of Aviz The Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz ( pt, Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis, ), previously to 1910 ''Royal Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz'' ( pt, Real Ordem Militar de São Bento de Avis), previously to 1789 ''Knights'' (of ...

(Portugal), February 1957 * Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (Norway), June 1955

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Abel Smith, Conolly 1899 births 1985 deaths Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College Royal Navy officers of World War I Royal Navy admirals of World War II Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Commanders First Class of the Order of the Dannebrog Grand Crosses of the Order of Aviz Conolly People educated at the Royal Naval College, Osborne People from North Kesteven District Military personnel from Lincolnshire