Alick Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno

The grave of Alick Drummond Buchanan-Smith, Currie Cemetery

Brigadier Alick Drummond Buchanan-Smith, Baron Balerno CBE, JP, DSc, DL (9 October 1898 – 28 July 1984) was a British soldier and politician. He was the son of the Very Rev. George Adam Smith and the father of politician Alick Buchanan-Smith.

He served in World War I, 1916–18 with Gordon Highlanders; served in World War II, 1939–45 with 5 and 9 Battalions, Gordon Highlanders (in France), and as Director, Selection of Personnel, War Office. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1939,^[1] promoted to Commander (CBE) in 1945^[2] and he retired in 1956 with the rank of Brigadier. In the 1956 Birthday Honours he was awarded a knighthood,^[3] having the honour conferred by HM The Queen on 10 July 1956.^[4] He had held many positions in military education.

His genetics research earned him the degree of Doctor of Science from Aberdeen University and he lectured in genetics at Edinburgh University.

He was created a life peer as Baron Balerno, of Currie in the County of Midlothian on 9 July 1963,^[5] having been Deputy Chairman of the Unionist Party in Scotland (1960–1963).

He is buried with his wife, Mary Kathleen Smith of Pittodrie, and eldest son, Rev George Adam Buchanan-Smith (1929–1983) in the north-east corner of Currie Cemetery, next to their second son, Alick Laidlaw Buchanan-Smith.

Publications

• Alick Drummond Buchanan Smith; Olive Janet Robinson; D. M. Bryant (1936). The Genetics of the Pig, University of Edinburgh Institute of Animal Genetics. Dordrecht: Springer. ISBN 940175666X, 162 pp.

References

1. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 34585. p. 9. 2 January 1939.
2. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 36866. p. 10. 1 January 1945.
3. The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 40787. pp. 3099–3100. 31 May 1956.
4. The London Gazette: no. 40829. pp. 4075–4076. 13 July 1956.
5. The London Gazette: no. 43050. p. 5823. 9 July 1963.