Bot at 21:21, 4 May 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=John Manners Smith
|birth_date=30 August 1864
|death_date= 14 December 1927
|birth_place=[[Lahore]], [[British India]]
|death_place= [[London]], [[England]]
|placeofburial=[[Kensal Green Cemetery]]
|image= Victoria Cross Medal without Bar.png
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance={{UK}}
|serviceyears=
|rank=[[Lieutenant-Colonel]]
|branch=[[British Indian Army]]
|commands=
|unit=[[Norfolk Regiment]]<br />[[Indian Staff Corps]] - 5th [[5 Gorkha Rifles|Gurkha Rifles]]
|battles= [[Hunza-Naga Campaign]]<br />[[Tirah Campaign]]
|awards= [[Victoria Cross]]<br />[[Order of the Indian Empire]]<br />[[Royal Victorian Order]]
|relations=
}}
[[Lieutenant-Colonel]] '''John Manners Smith''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|VC|CIE|CVO}} (30 August 1864 – 6 January 1920) was a [[British Indian Army]] and [[Indian Political Service]] officer who was a recipient of the [[Victoria Cross]], the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] forces.

==Biography==

=== Early life and career ===
Smith was educated at [[Norwich School]] and [[Royal Military College, Sandhurst]].<ref>Harries et al. (1991), p. 210</ref> After transferring from the [[Norfolk Regiment]] to the [[British Indian Army]], Smith joined the Indian Staff Corps and served with 3rd Sikhs and 5th Gurkha Rifles from 1885 to 1887, when he was appointed to the [[Indian Political Department]]. He accompanied Sir Mortimer Durand on missions to Sikkim in 1888 and to Kabul in 1893.

=== Victoria Cross ===
Smith was 27 years old, and a [[lieutenant]] in the [[Indian Staff Corps]] and 5th [[5 Gorkha Rifles|Gurkha Rifles]], [[British Indian Army]], during the [[Hunza-Naga Campaign]], India when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC.

On 20 December 1891 near [[Nilt Fort]], [[British India]], Lieutenant Smith led the storming party at the attack and capture of a strong position occupied by the enemy. For nearly four hours on the face of the cliff which was almost precipitous, he moved his handful of men from point to point, and during this time he was unable to defend himself from any attack which the enemy chose to make. He was the first man to reach the summit within a few yards of one of the enemy's [[Sangar (fortification)|sangars]], which was immediately rushed, the lieutenant pistolling the first man.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=26306|page=4006|date=12 July 1892}}</ref>

=== Later life and career ===
Between 1889 and 1918, Smith held political appointments in Kashmir, Bundhelkand, Baluchistan, Rajputana, Central India and Nepal. He was Chief Commissioner of Ajmer-Merwara from 1918 to 1919.

He was promoted [[Major (British Army)|Major]] in July 1901.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=27362 |date=4 October 1901 |page=6480}}</ref>
He achieved the rank of [[lieutenant colonel]] before he retired from the army.

His Victoria Cross is displayed at [[The Gurkha Museum]] in [[Winchester]], [[Hampshire]], England.

==See also==
*[[List of Brigade of Gurkhas recipients of the Victoria Cross]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
*[[Monuments to Courage]] (David Harvey, 1999)
*[[The Register of the Victoria Cross]] (This England, 1997)

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book|last1=Harries|first1=R.|last2=Cattermole|first2=P.|last3=Mackintosh|first3=P.|title=A History of Norwich School: King Edward VI's Grammar School at Norwich|year=1991|location=Norwich|publisher=Friends of Norwich School|isbn=978-0-9518561-1-6}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041028141011/http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/kensalgr.htm Location of grave and VC medal] ''(Kensal Green Cemetery)''

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box | title=[[List of Chief Commissioners of Ajmer-Merwara|Chief Commissioner of Ajmer-Merwara]] | before=[[Elliot Graham Colvin|Elliot Colvin]] | after=[[Robert Erskine Holland|Robert Holland]] | years=1918–1919}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, John Manners}}
[[Category:1864 births]]
[[Category:1920 deaths]]
[[Category:British recipients of the Victoria Cross]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Royal Victorian Order]]
[[Category:Companions of the Order of the Indian Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Norwich School]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Hunza-Naga Campaign]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Lahore]]
[[Category:Free Foresters cricketers]]
[[Category:Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery]]
[[Category:Indian Staff Corps officers]]
[[Category:Indian Police Service officers]]
[[Category:British military personnel of the Tirah campaign]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst]]
[[Category:Royal Norfolk Regiment officers]]

John Manners Smith - Revision history

Bot at 21:21, 4 May 2022