John Jarvis-Smith

John Frederick Jarvis-Smith (15 March 1924 – 15 May 2015), born John Frederick Smith, was a British shipbroker and oil trader whose conduct during the Second World War earned him the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).

Smith was born in south London into modest circumstances but early in life showed leadership potential and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1941. He served in landing craft during the Second World War and saw action off Sword Beach on D-Day and in Operation Infatuate where he earned his DSC after originally being mistaken for an officer killed in action who was also by the name of Smith. He later changed his surname to Jarvis-Smith.

After the war he worked in oil-trading and shipbroking and in retirement divided his time between Wiltshire and the French Riviera with his partner Roger Cave where he got to know the "Riviera set". He spent his last years in Scotland where he was active in the Conservative Party and in raising funds for charity.

Early life John Smith was born on 15 March 1924 in Streatham, South London. His father worked for the local bus company. He was educated at Woodmansterne Primary School and in Tooting where he joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve's Y Scheme which aimed to identify boys with officer potential while still at school. He was also a chorister and singles tennis champion for the London YMCA.

During Operation Infatuate, landing craft and other naval vessels were tasked with drawing enemy fire away from troops landing onshore at a breach in the German defences. It was found that the Admiralty had confused Smith with Lieutenant Leonard George Smith.

Later life During his retirement, Jarvis-Smith lived in a thatched cottage in the Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, and at Les Ferres on the French Riviera.

In 1990, Jarvis-Smith and Cave moved to Crossmichael in Scotland where he was chairman of the local Conservative Party. He opened their garden to visitors to raise funds for the party and other causes such as the National Trust for Scotland and the Red Cross. His interests included ballet, the opera, and horse racing. The Herald, and The Scotsman.