John Jarvis-Smith

Shipbroker Born: March 15, 1922; Died: May 15, 2015.

JOHN JARVIS-SMITH, who has died in Edinburgh aged 91, was a successful shipbroker in the City of London in the post war years.

During the war he had served with distinction in the Royal Navy being involved in several daring escapades at D-Day and on a raid on a well-fortified island off the Dutch coast. In his later years he settled near Castle Douglas where he and his partner were active in many community affairs.

John Frederick Smith was born in south London where his father worked on the buses. He was educated locally and was a chorister and the London YMCA singles tennis champion.

In 1941 he joined the RNVR; a year later, he was promoted to midshipman, and served throughout the rest of the war in landing crafts. He saw noted service off Sword Beach on D-Day providing vital covering fire as the British troops landed under heavy enemy fire.

Later that year he was given command of a Landing Craft Tank which performed the important task of conveying relief supplies to the advancing Allies. As a goodwill gesture to the battered people of Caen, Mr Smith delivered an upright piano.

That year Mr Smith took part in Operation Infatuate, the British and Canadian amphibious assault on heavily-defended German positions on the Dutch island of Walcheren. He skilfully manoeuvred his landing craft close to the enemy guns to allow the Royal Marines to breach in the German defences.

Mr Smith’s craft came under repeated attack and after an almighty bombardment he realised that the bridge and engine room were totally destroyed. With no care for his own safety he assumed command of the vessel and with great dexterity, and on one engine, slowly brought the limping ship alongside a hospital ship.

In March 1945 Mr Smith learnt to his amazement that he had been awarded, posthumously, a mention in despatches. He pointed out that he was alive and the recipient was another Lieutenant Smith, who had been killed. The award was upgraded and Mr Smith was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. It was as a result of this misunderstanding that he decided to change his surname to Jarvis-Smith.

After the war Mr Jarvis-Smith joined the ship-broking firm of Simpson, Spence and Young. The Simpson was Ernest Simpson, the former husband of the Duchess of Windsor who she divorced to marry the Duke, thus causing his abdication in 1936. Later in his career Mr Jarvis-Smith was associated with the Greek shipping magnate John Latsis.

In his retirement Mr Jarvis-Smith initially lived between Brighton and a house in the South of France but in 1990 he and Roger Cave, his partner of over 30 years, moved to Crossmichael in Dumfries and Galloway. They were both active in village affairs and often opened their fine garden for local charities notably the National Trust for Scotland, the World Wildlife Fund and the Red Cross. Mr Jarvis-Smith was a strong supporter of the Conservative Party and a dedicated chairman of the local constituency.

Mr Jarvis-Smith was involved in a high profile sale at the Edinburgh auctioneers Lyon & Turnbull in 2003 when an historic collection of photographs by Alfredo Quaglino were sold. Mr Jarvis-Smith and Quaglino were great friends in France and amongst the priceless collection were informal pictures of the Ranier/Grace Kelly wedding and also of Picasso, Orson Welles, Brigitte Bardot and many others relaxed and at play.

Mr Jarvis-Smith had inherited the collection and commented at the time of the sale, “They are such intimate pictures, he must have had a friendship with a lot of these people.”

Mr Jarvis-Smith is survived by his civil partner Mr Cave.