Sydney Ernest Smith
Encyclopedia
Colonel Sydney Ernest Smith CBE
(1881–1943) was an English
pioneer aviator
, soldier, airman and company director.
, Surrey
. In the 1901 Census of Bristol he was living with his widowed mother and was described as a Civil Engineer
with Tramway Company. On 22 November 1910 Smith flying a Bristol biplane at Brooklands
was awarded the 33rd Royal Aero Club
aviators certificate. He then went to Australia
to promote the use of aircraft on sheep farms.
and later the Royal Air Force
retiring with the rank of Colonel.
between 1926 and 1930 and a director and general manager of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company
until he retired in 1935. He was also a director of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
until his death.
Smith died at the Bristol Royal Infirmary
on 11 June 1943.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1881–1943) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
pioneer aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, soldier, airman and company director.
Early life
Smith was born on 24 April 1881 at FarnhamFarnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
. In the 1901 Census of Bristol he was living with his widowed mother and was described as a Civil Engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
with Tramway Company. On 22 November 1910 Smith flying a Bristol biplane at Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
was awarded the 33rd Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
aviators certificate. He then went to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to promote the use of aircraft on sheep farms.
First World War
During the First World War Smith re-joined his old battalion with the rank of Major and by 1915 he was attached to the Royal Flying CorpsRoyal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
and later the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
retiring with the rank of Colonel.
Post war
Smith was a director of the Imperial Tramways CompanyImperial Tramways Company
The Imperial Tramways Company Ltd was created to bring under common management a number of street tramways. Originally based in London, its headquarters moved to Bristol in 1892 and from then on it shared its senior management with Bristol Tramways under the chairmanship of George...
between 1926 and 1930 and a director and general manager of the Bristol Tramways and Carriage Company
Bristol Tramways
Bristol tramways were operated from 1875, when the Bristol Tramways Company was formed by Sir George White, until 1941 when a Luftwaffe bomb destroyed the power station.-History:...
until he retired in 1935. He was also a director of the Bristol Aeroplane Company
Bristol Aeroplane Company
The Bristol Aeroplane Company, originally the British and Colonial Aeroplane Company, was both one of the first and one of the most important British aviation companies, designing and manufacturing both airframes and aero engines...
until his death.
Family
Smith married Ethel Mary Ball in 1910 had they had two daughters - Alice G and Jean Mary and a son, the son was killed by enemy action in 1940.Smith died at the Bristol Royal Infirmary
Bristol Royal Infirmary
The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the medical faculty of the nearby University of Bristol, and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the West of England, also in...
on 11 June 1943.