Smith was born in south London into modest circumstances but early in life showed leadership potential and joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (RNVR) in 1941.

[4] He served during the war in landing craft and saw action in June 1944 off Sword Beach during D-Day and subsequently in Operation Infatuate in November that year, a joint British and Canadian amphibious assault on heavily protected German positions on the island of Walcheren.

[3] In March 1945, he discovered in The London Gazette that he had been mentioned in despatches as one of those serving with "gallantry and great devotion to duty in the assault on Walcheren, in which operation they lost their lives”.

[4] In December 1944, Smith was given command of a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) used to convey relief supplies to the city of Caen, which had been badly damaged in the advance from Normandy after D-Day, including an upright piano donated in England.

[3] Later, he worked in oil trading for Murco and the Greek shipping magnate John Latsis before retiring at the age of 62.

[7] During his retirement, Jarvis-Smith lived in a thatched cottage in the Savernake Forest, Wiltshire, and at Les Ferres on the French Riviera.

He opened their garden to visitors to raise funds for the party and other causes such as the National Trust for Scotland and the Red Cross.