The collection mainly relates to Smith's research and writing in the period 1922-1955. It includes private correspondence, research notes, books, journal articles, press cuttings and photographs. A further donation of books was made in 1980 and these items were transferred to the Caird Library collection in 2007. A photograph album relating to the Royal Naval Engineers Club was transferred to the Historic Photographs Section in 1980 (see ALB0207).

Administrative / biographical background
Smith was born at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire in 1871. He studied engineering at the Merchant Venturers’ College in Bristol and gained workshop experience before entering the Navy as an assistant engineer (temporary) in 1895. His early appointments were on the battleships HMS SANS PAREIL (1887), guardship at Sheerness, and HMS BARFLEUR (1892) on the China station. Smith was promoted to engineer lieutenant in 1901 and then served on HMS TAMAR (1863), base ship at Hong Kong. He was promoted to engineer commander in 1913. During the First World War he served on the light cruiser HMS MINERVA (1895) and then on the battleship HMS MAGNIFICENT (1894). In 1919 Smith was awarded the OBE for his valuable services at Devonport Dockyard. His record of service in the Royal Navy can be found under the reference ADM 196/133/125 at The National Archives. In his retirement from 1922 onwards Smith carried out extensive research into the history of the Engineering Branch of the Royal Navy. This culminated in the publication of his book 'A Short History of Naval and Marine Engineering' in 1938. As a member of The Newcomen Society, he contributed papers on the development of screw propulsion, steam navigation and refrigeration. He was also a scientific journalist, writing for example the series ‘Britain’s Scientific Shrines’ for the journal ‘Nature’. Smith died at Burstow in Surrey in 1955.