Page 65 - RADC Bulletin 2022

Colonel David H. Smith L/RADC
10 June 1933 – 5 February 2022
Colonel David Hampton Smith served in the RADC for some 37 years having held 3 commissions, National Service, Territorial Army and Regular.
David was educated at Robert Gordon College, Aberdeen where he was student head of the College’s Combined Cadet Force prior to embarking on his professional study pathway at Edinburgh University Dental School. From there he graduated with a
BDS in October 1956, having combined
a successful and challenging study programme with significant and successful sports participation turning out regularly for Edinburgh Rugby Club at Number 8.
Immediately following graduation as BDS, David was called up for National Service. He completed his period of National Service in 1958 having served in Aden, Cyprus and Cyrenaica.
Upon completion of his National Service, he returned to civilian practice in Edinburgh as well as immediately volunteering to
join the Territorial Army. He was granted his Territorial Army Commission in January 1959 serving till 1965 with No. 2 (Scottish) General Hospital and No. 50 (Scottish) Casualty Clearing Station.
1965 saw David embark on his Regular Service career with the grant of a Regular Commission in that year and a subsequent posting in 1966 to BMH Berlin.
Returning to UK in 1969 he was posted for duty at Dental Centre Aldershot (North).
September 1970 provided a break from primary care dentistry in Aldershot when
he was attached as Second-in-Command and Dental Officer to No.2 Field Hospital as part of the Operational British Medical Team tasked to treat casualties of the Jordanian civil war.
Post Operational Tour, return to Aldershot brought promotion to Lt Col and the filling of the post of Senior Instructor at HQ and Training Centre RADC, Aldershot.
1971 brought a new posting to UK Support Unit (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, remaining there till 1975 whereupon David received his first Command appointment with a move
to Edinburgh and Command of No.8 Dental Group RADC, a most fortunate move, for it was here that he met and married Liz.
1979 saw the end of the tour “North of the border” and a move to Dental Centre Rheindahlen (BAOR).
1981 brought a second Command appointment with a posting as Commanding Officer of No. 9 Dental Group RADC in Lisburn, N. Ireland with responsibility for dental support to operations in the province during the troubled times. Near the end of this tour, David was honoured and privileged
to be selected by GOC N. Ireland.to be Inspecting Officer and take the salute at the 21 gun salute to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday at Stormont Castle- a unique honour.
Between departing Northern Ireland
in 1983 and 1989 David held another 4 Command appointments, being No.11 Dental Group (Cyprus), No. 7 Dental Group (Catterick), No.1 Dental Group (BAOR) and No.12 Dental Group (BAOR).
The filling of 6 command appointments by the same Officer was a record within the RADC.
His final posting of regular service took him to Ripon, Yorkshire, from where he retired and initially settled for a few years in 1993, continuing to practice as a locum in several local rural practices for the next few years.
David fully retired from dentistry in 1998 with he and Liz relocating to Cyprus in 2003
where they fully and successfully integrated into the community being well-known and popular in many areas of activity.
David was a long-serving, well-respected member of the RADC. He was well-known for, amongst other things, his straight – talking and his sense of humour. Both
of which are exhibited in a self-related anecdote whereby at an RADC Corps function, David overheard the then Director of Army Dental Service (Maj-Gen) opine “The trouble with David is that he comes from Aberdeen, and the list of diplomats from Aberdeen is a very short one; I have no reason to believe that David will be contributory to lengthening this list.”
David Hampton Smith, Army Officer, Dental Surgeon, rugby referee, fly fisherman, beagler, twitcher, gardener, chef and self- confessed indifferent cricketer and golfer, but primarily, Loving Husband, Father and Grandfather.
RADC BULLETIN 2022 63