Henry d'Avigdor-Goldsmid

Major Sir Henry Joseph d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, 2nd Baronet, (10 June 1909 – 11 December 1976), sometimes known as Harry d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, was a British Army officer, company director and politician. Early life, education and military career The eldest son of Sir Osmond d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, 1st Baronet, d'Avigdor-Goldsmid went to Harrow School and Balliol College, Oxford. On the death of his father in 1940, d'Avigdor-Goldsmid inherited Somerhill House near Tonbridge, Kent. On 12 June 1938 he was commissioned as a second lieutenant into 4th Battalion of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment, a Territorial Army (TA) unit. He was to serve with the battalion during the early stages of the Second World War, which began in September 1939, including at the Battle of France the following year, from where he, along with the rest of his battalion, was evacuated from Dunkirk back to the United Kingdom. At some point he transferred to the Reconnaissance Corps and served as Commander of "B" Squadron of the 53rd Reconnaissance Regiment, part of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, throughout the North-West Europe campaign of 1944–45. For his services in the war he was twice mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order and Military Cross in 1945.