Arthur Smith (British Army officer)

Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Francis Smith KCB KBE DSO MC (1890–1977) was a British Army General during World War II.

Military career
Smith was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1910.

He served in World War I as Adjutant with 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards in France from 1914 before becoming a General Staff Officer in France in 1915.

After the War he became a General Staff Officer at London District and then Adjutant at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst from 1921. It was during this time, he compiled the "100 Days Bible Study" for cadet officers.

He became Commandant at the Guards Depot in 1924 and then moved back to London District in 1927. He was made Commanding officer of 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards in 1930 and then Commander of the Coldstream Guards Regiment and Regimental District in 1934. In 1938 he became a Brigadier on the General Staff of British Troops in Egypt.

He served in World War II initially as Chief of Staff at Middle East Command until 1942 when he became Major-General commanding the Brigade of Guards and General Officer Commanding London District. He was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Persia and Iraq Command in 1944.

After the War he was made General Officer Commanding-in-Chief for Eastern Command, India in 1945. He became Chief of the General Staff in India in 1946 and Commander of British Forces in India and Pakistan in 1947; he retired in 1948.

He was Lieutenant of the Tower of London from 1948 to 1951. He was a religious man who became Chairman of the British Evangelical Alliance and President of the World Evangelical Fellowship.

Publications
While a Captain with the Coldstream Guards, he was Adjutant of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, from 1921 to 1924. During that time he realized the need for a book to help Gentlemen Cadets understand their Bibles. He therefore compiled “100 Days Bible Study” of which over 120,000 copies have been printed, and which has been translated in whole or in part into several different languages. It is still in print to-day.