Gerald Smallwood

Smallwood joined the Royal Warwickshire Regiment on 8 April 1911 as a Special Reserve second lieutenant on probation,{{London Gazette |issue=28483 |date=7 April 1911 |page=2806}} confirmed in April 1912.{{London Gazette |issue=28601 |date=23 April 1912 |page=2897}} In December 1912, after passing his examination, he was transferred to be a regular second lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment.{{London Gazette |issue=28668 |date=3 December 1912 |page=9217}} In September 1914, after the outbreak of World War I, he was promoted to temporary lieutenant{{London Gazette |issue=29114 |supp=y |date=26 March 1915 |page=3084}} and later that year seconded to the Army Signal Service.{{London Gazette |issue=29162 |date=14 May 1915 |page=4654}} He was promoted to captain in 1915.{{London Gazette |issue=29456 |supp=y |date=28 January 1916 |page=1219}} He was twice mentioned in dispatches during the war, and he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) in the King's 1916 Birthday Honours.{{London Gazette |issue=12947 |city=e |date=5 June 1916 |page=1003}}{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=291}}

In 1917 and 1919 he twice held the rank of acting Major while commanding a divisional signals company,{{London Gazette |issue=30082 |supp=y |date=18 May 1917 |page=4928}}{{London Gazette |issue=31209 |supp=y |date=28 February 1919 |page=2983}} and in 1920 he was acting lieutenant colonel while still a substantive Captain.{{London Gazette |issue=31763 |supp=y |date=30 January 1920 |page=1361}} In 1922 he left the Signals to attend the Staff College, Camberley, where he encountered many future general officers, including Charles Fullbrook-Leggatt, John Evetts, Thomas Hutton, Keith Simmons and Robert Money.{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=109}} Graduating from Camberley in late 1923,{{London Gazette |issue=32625 |supp=y |date=28 February 1922 |page=1786}} then in 1924 he was appointed to the War Office as Staff Captain.{{London Gazette |issue=32909 |date=19 February 1924 |page=1457}} In 1927 he was finally promoted to Major.{{London Gazette |issue=33270 |date=29 April 1927 |page=2765}} In 1934, having been promoted to lieutenant colonel, he was appointed to command his old battalion, the 2nd East Yorkshire Regiment.[http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=BasicSearchForm&docId=CS51194535&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0 The Army – The East Yorkishire Regiment], The Times, London, 7 May 1934, page 3 He commanded the battalion, firstly in England and then in Palestine during the Arab revolt in Palestine.{{sfn|Smart|2005|p=291}}

From 1937 to 1939 Smallwood was posted to the British Military Mission to the Egyptian Army.{{London Gazette |issue=34364 |date=29 January 1937 |page=619}} After this posting the King of Egypt made him Commander of the Order of the Nile.{{London Gazette |issue=34784 |date=2 February 1940 |page=654}}

In 1939, at the outbreak of World War II, Brigadier Smallwood commanded the Nigerian Brigade. By 1940, his brigade was named the 3rd Nigerian Brigade. In July 1940, under the terms of a war contingency plan, the 3rd Nigerian Brigade was sent to East Africa. There, the Nigerian brigade was joined by two brigades of the King's African Rifles (KAR) to form the 1st African Division. Smallwood was the acting Commanding Officer of this division during its formation.

When Major-General Harry de R. Wetherall took command of the 1st African Division, Smallwood once again reverted to command of his original brigade, now named the 23rd Nigerian Brigade. In 1942, Smallwood was promoted to Major-General.

• 1937 to 1939 General Staff Officer 1, British Military Mission to Egypt
• 1939 to 1940 Commanding Officer, Nigerian Brigade, West Africa
• 1940 Commanding Officer, 3rd Nigerian Brigade, West Africa
• 1940 Acting General Officer Commanding, 1st African Division, East Africa
• 1940 to 1941 Commanding Officer, 23rd Nigerian Brigade, East Africa
• 1942 General Officer Commanding, Madagascar
• 1945 Head Training Staff, Greek Army
• 1946 Retired

• Royal West African Frontier Force
• East African Campaign (World War II)
• Battle of Madagascar

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book |first=Nick |last=Smart |title=Biographical Dictionary of British Generals of the Second World War |year=2005 |location=Barnsley |publisher=Pen & Sword |isbn=978-1-84415-049-6}}

• {{NPG name|name=Gerald Russell Smallwood (1889-1977), Major-General}}
• [http://www.generals.dk/general/Smallwood/Gerard_Russell/Great_Britain.html Generals of World War II]
• [http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U159673 SMALLWOOD, Maj.-Gen. Gerald Russell], Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2015 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smallwood, Gerald}}

Category:1880s births

Category:1977 deaths

Category:British Army major generals

Category:British Army generals of World War II

Category:British Army personnel of World War I

Category:British expatriates in Madagascar

Category:British expatriates in Nigeria

Category:British military personnel of the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine

Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath

Category:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order

Category:East Yorkshire Regiment officers

Category:Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley

Category:People from colonial Nigeria

Category:Recipients of the Military Cross

Category:Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers officers

Category:Royal West African Frontier Force officers

Category:People from Kings Norton

Category:Military personnel from Worcestershire