Background
SMEDLEY, Harold was born on June 19, 1920 in Hove, Sussex. Son of late Ralph Davies Smedley, Doctor of Medicine
SMEDLEY, Harold was born on June 19, 1920 in Hove, Sussex. Son of late Ralph Davies Smedley, Doctor of Medicine
Harold Smedley was educated at Aldenham School and Pembroke College, Cambridge.
During World World War II he served in the Royal Marines and was an officer in 48 Commando at the Normandy landings in 1944. In 1946 he entered the Dominions Office (which became the Commonwealth Relations Office in the following year). He served as private secretary to the Permanent Under-Secretary 1947-1948.
In the British High Commissioner"s office in Wellington, New Zealand, 1948-1950.
At Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia, 1951-1953. As principal private secretary to the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations 1954-1957.
And with the rank of Counsellor in the High Commissioner"s offices at Calcutta in 1957 and New Delhi 1958-1960. Smedley was High Commissioner in Ghana 1964-1967 (with a break from December 1965 to March 1966 when the Ghanaian president, Kwame Nkrumah, broke off diplomatic relations over Rhodesia).
He was Ambassador to Laos 1968-1970.
Assistant Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1970-1972. Secretary-general to Lord Pearce"s Commission on Rhodesian opinion (of a proposed settlement) 1971-1972. High Commissioner in Sri Lanka and non-resident Ambassador to the Maldives 1973-1975.
High Commissioner in New Zealand and concurrently Governor of the Pitcairn Islands 1976-1980.
And also non-resident High Commissioner in Western Samoa 1977-1980. He was president of the Hakluyt Society 1987-1992.
He was made a Serving Brother of the Order of Street John in 1963. She died in 2011.
After retiring from the Diplomatic Service, Smedley was chairman of the London board of Bank of New Zealand 1983-1989 and a member of West Sussex County Council 1989-1993.
Married Beryl Harley Brown in 1950.