Lieutenant-Colonel C. Brooke-Smith
7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry

At Bn “O” Gp O.C. Y Coy Major Brooke-Smith put forward a useful suggestion which some of his men had adopted. Two Sten mags were firmly bound together with adhesive tape, one was inserted in the gun, and when empty, the man merely turned the double mag round and inserted the other half. This got rid of the dangerous delay of fumbling in pouches. Both mags would bot fit in a basic pouch.

(2nd KSLI War Diary, 10 Oct 1944)

Born on 10 August 1915 in Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, Cuthbert Brooke-Smith was commissioned into the King’s Shropshire Light Infantry after graduating from RMC, Sandhurst in 1936. With the 2nd Battalion, KSLI on garrison duty in Jamacia, he was stationed with a company in Bermuda at the start of the Second World War. He returned to England with his new wife in early 1942. He was assigned to the Reconnaissance Corps but would rejoin the 2nd KSLI in April 1944.

The 2nd KSLI landed with the 3rd Infantry Division on D-Day. Brooke-Smith commanded a company throughout the campaign until February 1945 when he was posted to the 7th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry in the 43rd Division as second-in-command. After Lieutenant-Colonel I.L. Reeves was wounded shortly thereafter, Brooke-Smith became CO for the rest of the war in Europe.

Following staff college and a posting to India, he returned to Bermuda in 1949 as a general staff officer. He commanded the 2nd Battalion, Durham Light Infantry in Germany from 1952 to 1955 when he transferred back to the KSLI. He took command of the 1st Battalion in Kenya that during the Mau Mau Rebellion.

On 13 July 1955, he was accidently shot by an ambush patrol of own troops who had mistaken the colonel’s African guides for rebels. Before dying, Brooke-Smith reportedly complimented the Bren gunner’s marksmanship.