Brigadier-General Sir Smith Hill Child, 2nd Baronet, (19 September 1880 – 11 November 1958) was an officer in the
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
and a
Conservative Party politician.
Early life and education
Hill Child was educated at
Eton College
Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...
and
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...
. He succeeded his grandfather,
Sir Smith Child, 1st Baronet
Sir Smith Child, 1st Baronet (5 March 1808 – 27 March 1896) was a Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom.
He was born at Newfield Hall, Tunstall, Staffordshire the son of John George Child and the grandson ...
, as 2nd Baronet of Newfield Hall, near
Tunstall, Staffordshire
Tunstall is one of the six towns that, along with Burslem, Longton, Staffordshire, Longton, Fenton, Staffordshire, Fenton, Hanley, Staffordshire, Hanley and Stoke-upon-Trent, amalgamated to form the City of Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, Engl ...
, in 1896.
[''Burkes''.]
Military career
Hill Child was commissioned as a
second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion
Royal Scots
The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment line infantry, of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I of England ...
, a part-time
Militia
A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...
battalion, on 25 October 1899. The battalion was embodied for full-time service in the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
on 5 December that year, and in early March 1900 left
Queenstown on the ''SS Oriental'' for South Africa. They landed at
East London
East London is the part of London, England, east of the ancient City of London and north of the River Thames as it begins to widen. East London developed as London Docklands, London's docklands and the primary industrial centre. The expansion of ...
on 21 March 1900 and by July was engaged in operations against Boer Commandos in the
Transvaal
Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; ...
. Hill Child was wounded, and returned to the United Kingdom during Christmas 1900. He was promoted to
lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the militia battalion on 6 March 1901, but in July was commissioned into the
Regular Army
A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following:
* a ...
as a second lieutenant in the newly raised
Irish Guards
The Irish Guards (IG) is one of the Foot guards#United Kingdom, Foot Guards regiments of the British Army and is part of the Guards Division. Together with the Royal Irish Regiment (1992), Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two Irish infant ...
. Promotion to lieutenant in the regiment came on 1 March 1902, and he was chosen to carry the colours at the first presentation of
Colours
Color (or colour in Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is the visual perception based on the electromagnetic spectrum. Though color is not an inherent property of matter, color perception is related to an object's light absorpt ...
to the Regiment on 30 May 1902, following which he was appointed a
Member of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
(MVO).
He retired from Regular service in 1909 and was placed on the Reserve of Officers in 1910.
On 8 February 1910, Hill Child was promoted to
lieutenant-colonel in the part-time
Territorial Force
The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...
and was appointed commanding officer of the
II North Midland Brigade in the
Royal Field Artillery
The Royal Field Artillery (RFA) of the British Army provided close artillery support for the infantry. It was created as a distinct arm of the Royal Regiment of Artillery on 1 July 1899, serving alongside the other two arms of the regiment, the ...
.
He was in command when the brigade was mobilised as part of the
46th (North Midland) Division
The 46th (North Midland) Division was an infantry division of the British Army, part of the Territorial Force, that saw service in the First World War. At the outbreak of the war in 1914, the 46th Division was commanded by Major-General Hon. ...
in the
First World War
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and served with it on the
Western Front. The brigade was later numbered CCXXXI (231). 46th Division saw its first major action at the
Battle of the Hohenzollern Redoubt
The Actions of the Hohenzollern Redoubt took place on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in World War I from 13 to 19 October 1915, at the Hohenzollern Redoubt (fortification), Hohenzollern Redoubt () near Auchy-les-Mines in France ...
in October 1915. Hill Child was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
in 1916.
At the
Battle of Gommecourt on 1 July 1916, organised as a diversion from the main
Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme (; ), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and the French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place between 1 July and 18 Nove ...
, the divisional artillery was allocated the task of wire-cutting: CCXXXI and another brigade formed the Left group, under the command of Hill Child. This group supported two battalions (1/5th and
1/7th (Robin Hoods)) of the
Sherwood Foresters
The Sherwood Foresters (Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence for just under 90 years, from 1881 to 1970. In 1970, the regiment was amalgamated with the Worcestershire Regiment to ...
, but the German
wire entanglements were in dead ground and could not be seen by artillery observers. The attack was a costly failure, and Hill Child was a member of the court of inquiry into the circumstances.
On 13 March 1918 the Commander, Royal Artillery (CRA) of the 46th Division was wounded, and Hill Child was appointed to act in his place. A week later he was promoted to the temporary rank of
brigadier general and confirmed as CRA.
The 46th Division had been very unlucky during the war, the infantry in particular sustaining heavy casualties at the Hohenzollern Redoubt and Gommecourt, but it gained revenge at the
Battle of the St Quentin Canal
The Battle of St Quentin Canal was a pivotal battle of World War I that began on 29 September 1918 and involved British, Australian and American forces operating as part of the British Fourth Army under the overall command of General Sir Hen ...
on 29 September 1918 when it crossed the canal and broke open the
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line (, Siegfried Position) was a German Defense line, defensive position built during the winter of 1916–1917 on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the First World War. The line ran from Arras to ...
. Careful artillery preparation and support was an integral part of this success. Hill Child had nine brigades of field artillery under his command. The bombardment began on the night of 26/27 September with harassing fire and gas shells, followed with intense bombardment with high explosive shells until the morning of the assault.
[Edmonds & Maxwell-Hyslop, p. 103.] Every field gun was used in carefully timed barrages: 'creeping barrages' (including smoke shells) ahead of the attacking troops, with pauses at the end of each phase, including a 'standing barrage' of three hours to allow mopping-up of the first objectives to be carried out, and the second wave of troops to pass through and renew the attack behind the creeping barrage. The first of these creeping barrages actually progressed at twice the normal pace while the infantry rushed downhill to seize the canal crossings; it was described in the ''Official History'' as 'one of the finest ever seen'.
[
The attack was a success, and by the afternoon the field artillery batteries were crossing the canal by the bridges that had been captured or thrown across, and were coming into action on the far side.][Priestley, p. 73.] The 46th Division was prominent in the pursuit of the Germans leading to the Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from t ...
in November 1918.
During the war Hill Child was Mentioned in Despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) 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 of t ...
, awarded the French Croix de Guerre
The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
, appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...
and, in 1919, a Companion of the Order of the Bath
Companion may refer to:
Relationships Currently
* Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance
* A domestic partner, akin to a spouse
* Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach
* Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
. He continued in the Territorial Army after the war as CRA of 46th (North Midland) Division from 1920 to 1924, after which he was placed in the Regular Army Reserve of Officers.
Political career
Hill Child was elected at the 1918 general election as Coalition Conservative
The Coalition Coupon was a letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the Coalition Government. The 1918 election took place soon after British victory in the ...
Member of Parliament (MP) for Stone
In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...
in Staffordshire
Staffordshire (; postal abbreviation ''Staffs''.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire and Leicestershire to the east, ...
, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1922 general election.
Hill Child was also Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for the county of Staffordshire between 1912 and 1949, with an interval between 1938 and 1941, as well as for the counties of London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
and Berkshire
Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
from 1936 until he retired from full-time royal service.
Royal Household career
Child was appointed in 1927 Gentleman Usher in Ordinary in the Royal Household by King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
George w ...
and promoted Deputy Master of the Household in 1929. He became Master in the "Year of three kings", 1936, serving 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 Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...
until he retired from the post in 1941, but remained from 1937 Extra-Equerry to the King and, from 1952, his successor Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
.
Hill Child was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
for his personal services to the Monarch and the Royal Household in 1941, having been previously appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the ...
in 1934 and Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order () is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the monarch, members of the royal family, or to any viceroy or senior representative of the m ...
in 1937. He also received a number of foreign honours during his service, including:
:Grand Commander, Order of St Olav
The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav (; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II, known to posterity as St. Olav.
Just be ...
of Norway.
:Commander of the Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...
of France.
:Commander of the Order of the Crown of Belgium.
:Commander of the Order of the Crown of Romania
The Order of the Crown of Romania is a chivalric order set up on 14 March 1881 by King Carol I of Romania to commemorate the establishment of the Kingdom of Romania. It was awarded as a state order until the end of the Romanian monarchy in 1947. ...
.
:Commander of the Order of the Two Rivers
The Order of the Two Rivers ( ''Wisam Al Rafidain'') was an Order awarded by the Kings of Iraq and then the Presidents of Iraq.
History
It was named after the two rivers, the Euphrates and Tigris, that flow through the middle of the country. I ...
of Iraq.
He inherited the baronetcy on the death of his grandfather, who had also been a Conservative MP. The title became extinct on his death in 1958, aged 78. He had made his last home at Whitton Hall in Shropshire
Shropshire (; abbreviated SalopAlso used officially as the name of the county from 1974–1980. The demonym for inhabitants of the county "Salopian" derives from this name.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West M ...
by 1948 and was buried in the parish churchyard at nearby Westbury.
Notes
References
* Maj A.F. Becke,''History of the Great War: Order of Battle of Divisions, Part 2a: The Territorial Force Mounted Divisions and the 1st-Line Territorial Force Divisions (42–56)'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1935/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, 2007, .
* ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage,'' 100th Edn, London, 1953.
*
* Brig-Gen Sir James E. Edmonds & Lt-Col R. Maxwell-Hyslop, ''History of the Great War: Military Operations, France and Belgium 1918'', Vol V, ''26th September–11th November, The Advance to Victory'', London: HM Stationery Office, 1947/Imperial War Museum and Battery Press, 1993, .
* Gen Sir Martin Farndale, ''History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Western Front 1914–18'', Woolwich: Royal Artillery Institution, 1986, .
* Alan MacDonald, ''A Lack of Offensive Spirit? The 46th (North Midland) Division at Gommecourt, 1st July 1916'', West Wickham: Iona Books, 2008, .
Jim O'Brien, 'Militiamen in the Second Anglo-Boer War', ''Soldiers of the Queen'', December 2008.
*
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Child, Smith Hill
1880 births
1958 deaths
British Army brigadiers
People educated at Eton College
Child, Smith, 2nd Baronet
British Army generals of World War I
Royal Artillery officers
Irish Guards officers
British Army personnel of the Second Boer War
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
People from Tunstall, Staffordshire
UK MPs 1918–1922
Masters of the Household
Gentlemen Ushers
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Deputy lieutenants of Staffordshire
Military personnel from Shropshire
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