Robert Osborne-Smith

This article is from the Worcester Regiment website:

Commanded the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment from August 1944 to November 1944.
Robert Edward Osborne-Smith was born on the 18th July 1908 at St. Helier, Jersey, Channel Islands.

Commissioned in to the Northamptonshire Regiment in 1929. He was promoted to rank of Lieutenant on the 31st January 1932. He served in India.
As a keen cricketer, on the 4th December 1934, he was a member of the British Army Cricket team when they played North Zone Northern India in the Ranji Trophy 1934/35 at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore.
He was appointed to be Adjutant of the Northamptonshire Regiment on the 18th February 1937 and promoted to rank of Captain on the 1st August 1938.
He was transferred to the 4th Battalion Wiltshire Regiment and – was Second in-Command to Lieut.-Colonel E. L. Luce in April 1944. He took the advance vehicle party to London Docks and sailed for Normandy on the 15th June 1944. Due to bad storms unloading was delayed until the 23rd June 1944. He continued as Second in-Command during the fighting in Normandy in June and July 1944.
On the 7th August 1944 he was posted to command the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment. During the attack on Tripsrath (Germany) in November 1944 he was wounded in the leg and had to be evacuated. Promoted to substantive rank of Major on the 31st January 1946 and to substantive rank of Lieutenant-Colonel on the 20th September 1952.
We have had an email from Terry Manning who says, ‘Mr Osbourne Smith was CO of the Northamptonshire Regiment when I joined them in Sept 1952.’
In the New Years honours in 1954 he was awarded the O.B.E. (London Gazette 1/1/1954). Promoted to Colonel (Temp. Brigadier) and promoted to Brigadier on the 31st August 1958. He finally transferred to the Reserve Officers List on the 19th July 1960 and retired from the army on the 18th July 1966.
He lived in Tettenhall, Staffordshire but later move back to his family home on Jersey. 

Brigadier Robert Edward Osborne-Smith died on the 13th December 1972 at St Aubin, Jersey, Channel Islands (aged 64).