He married Josephine Barbara Compton of Betton Hall, Drayton, a teacher, in 1940 in Whitchurch, Shropshire, and they had 3 sons. She died in 1961 and he was advertising for domestic help at their home Riggs, Arundell Road, Seaford, Sussex.
| Unit or location | Role | Posted from | until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duntish Court, Dorset | Intelligence Officer | 12 Dec 1942 | 13 Aug 1943 |
| Dorset | Intelligence Officer | 12 Dec 1942 | 02 Feb 1943 |
| Dorset | Intelligence Officer | 04 Feb 1943 | 13 Aug 1943 |
| Norfolk | Intelligence Officer | 13 Aug 1943 | 03 Dec 1944 |
| Essex | Intelligence Officer | 01 Jan 1941 | 11 Dec 1942 |
| River House, Essex | Intelligence Officer | 1942 | 1942 |
Charterhouse, Oxford
Post war Headmaster
He commanded C Company, 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment which formed part of the British Expeditionary Force in France
18 May 1940 2nd Lieutenant R.F.H Darwall-Smith was reported wounded as part of the Expeditionary Force in France. The train carrying the 7th Royal Sussex was bombed shortly after reaching Amiens station. A bomb hit the Officers coach (the men were in cattle trucks) killing 3 and wounding 10. He was sufficiently wounded to have to be evacuated, another officer taking command of his company. However this meant he missed the action two days later, when the Battalion was all but destroyed trying to prevent the advance of a German Panzer Division. Most of the survivors were captured and spent the war as prisoners. He was presumably evacuated with other casualties from France.
Dec 1941 7th Battalion Royal Sussex was disbanded. Most of the men left by April and it is thought he transferred to Auxiliary Units at the start of the year. He was joined by Captain J.W Holberton who transferred from the same battalion to become Intelligence Officer in Suffolk.
Intelligence Officer Essex as Captain 1941 to 22 Jan 1942
Intelligence Officer Dorset as Captain from 12 Dec 1942 at Bingham Melcombe House
Promoted Acting Major 4 Feb 1943 and between 16 March 1943 and 13 Aug 1943 was at Duntish Court, Dorset.
Intelligence Officer Norfolk as Major. Arrived 13 Aug 1943 and was still there 22 Apr 1944.
11 Jul 1964 ceased to belong to Territorial Reserve Officer
Prewar
Oxford University 1935-1939 cricket team
Postwar
Headmaster school at Seaford, Sussex
Played one season first class cricket for Sussex (1946)
Family connections
Brother John Anderton Darwall-Smith, born 1912, served with Phantom (GHQ Liaison Regiment)
He can be seen second from right in the front of a photo of the Officers of the 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment taken in March 1940.
The Last Ditch, David Lampe
British Army Casualty List TNA ref WO417/1
Wisden Cricket Monthly
War Diary 7th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment
Photo of Officers of 7th Battalion Royal Sussex
WO199/3265