1956 with the style Sir John George Smyth, VC, MC, 1st Baronet Smyth of Teignmouth in the County of Devon and a privy counsellor in 1962. He retired from Parliament at the 1966 general election; as of 2015, he was the last VC recipient to sit in the Commons. Smyth was also an author, a playwright, a journalist and a broadcaster. His two brothers were distinguished soldiers, one of whom also became a brigadier. He married twice: firstly Margaret Dundas on 22 July 1920, later dissolved, with whom he had three sons and a daughter; and then Frances Chambers on 12 April 1940. One of his sons, Captain John Lawrence Smyth of the 1st Battalion, Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), was killed on 7 May 1944, during the first attack on Jail Hill at the Battle of Kohima. Smyth was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the Imperial War Museum. One of Brigadier Smyth's uniforms is on display at the armoury of the Artillery Company of Newport in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Smyth was a cat lover and wrote three books on cats, Beloved Cats (Frederick Muller, 1963), Blue Magnolia (Frederick Muller, 1964) and Ming: The Story of a Cat Family (Frederick Muller, 1966). Footnotes References Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997) Scotland's Forgotten Valour (Graham Ross, 1995) VCs of the First World War - The Western Front 1915 (Peter F. Batchelor & Christopher Matson, 1999) Bibliography Leadership in War, 1939–45; Generals in Victory and Defeat Leadership in battle 1914–1918 : commanders in action Story of the George Cross The Game's the Same Victoria Cross 1856–1964 The Only Enemy Paradise Island Trouble in Paradise Ann Goes Hunting (Max Parrish, 1960) Beloved Cats (Frederick Muller, 1963) Blue Magnolia (Frederick Muller, 1964) The Rebellious Rani (Frederick Muller, 1966) Ming: The Story of a Cat Family (Frederick Muller, 1966) External links Outline of his career Location of grave and VC medal (Golders Green) Cricinfo: Brigadier Sir John Smyth Generals of World War II |- |- 1893 births 1983 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Indian Army personnel of World War I Indian Army generals of World War II British World War I recipients of the Victoria Cross Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at