One of the unexpected joys of family history is rediscovering relatives whose lives turn out to be far more remarkable than family folklore suggested. For me, that person is my second cousin, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) William Arthur “Bill” Smy, OMM, CD, UE, who passed away in Fort Erie, Ontario, on 18 April 2019.
Bill’s paternal grandmother was Ada Jane Willmott — my own grandmother’s elder sister — born in 1884 in Lambeth, South London. Family stories once painted a romantic picture of Ada Jane marrying a dashing Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman, but the reality was both more ordinary and more adventurous. In 1903, at the age of 19, she married William George Smy, a local milkman, in Camberwell, South London.
Between 1904 and 1908 the couple had three children: Daisy, William Thomas, and Helen. In early 1912 the young family made the life-changing decision to emigrate to Canada. They crossed the Atlantic aboard the SS Teutonic, sailing just one week before the RMS Titanic departed on her fateful maiden voyage.
After landing in New York, the family stopped in Times Square. Bill later recounted to me how they bought a newspaper and were horrified to read the first reports of the Titanic disaster. It must have been a sobering and emotional moment as they continued their journey north to begin a new life in Canada.
Caption: Ada Jane Willmott (standing, right) pictured with her parents Frederick Edward Willmott and Harriet (née Langley), and her two young daughters. This studio portrait was taken in England shortly before the Smy family emigrated to Canada in 1912. Frederick is wearing a military-style uniform, which appears to have been a studio prop — no evidence has been found that he actually served in the army. Interestingly, Harriet was born in Quebec City in 1861 while her father was serving with the British Army in Canada.
The Smy family eventually settled in the Port Colborne area of Ontario, on the Niagara Peninsula. Their son William Thomas Smy married Eva Mae Dunham in 1933. The couple had five children, the eldest of whom was William Arthur Smy — our Bill.
Bill’s Military Career
After training as a teacher at Hamilton Teachers’ College, Bill taught history at the well-known Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario. He then joined the Canadian Army Reserve and rose through the ranks to become Commanding Officer of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment — a proud reserve infantry unit with deep historic ties to the Niagara region where he lived.
For his dedicated service he was appointed to the Order of Military Merit (OMM) and awarded the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD). He was also a proud United Empire Loyalist (UE) through his mother’s Dunham line. Bill retired from the Army in the mid-1980s.
A Lifetime Dedicated to Military History
Even after hanging up his uniform, Bill’s passion for history never faded — in fact, it deepened. He became a meticulous researcher and author, with a particular focus on Canadian recipients of the Victoria Cross. When we were in contact in the years before his death, he told me he was actively researching the stories of Canadian VC winners. He produced well-regarded biographical studies on individual recipients, including detailed work on Frederick “Fred” Fisher, VC (the first Canadian soldier awarded the Victoria Cross in the First World War) and Lieutenant Graham Thomson Lyall, VC, who had strong connections to the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
Bill also authored several books and papers on Canadian and Niagara-region military history. Among them:
- An Annotated Roll of Butlers’ Rangers 1777–1784 (with all proceeds donated to the Loyalist Collection at Brock University)
- Guarding Niagara: the Welland Canal Field Force 1914–1920
- Studies of the Fenian Raid in Niagara (1866) and other local military events
He was actively involved with the United Empire Loyalists’ Association of Canada (UELAC), serving as Treasurer and Senior Vice President of the Colonel John Butler Niagara Branch, and contributed significantly to conferences and commemorative projects.
Bill passed away on 18 April 2019 in Fort Erie, Ontario. Although his failing health meant we never had the chance to speak at length about his military career and research, I remain grateful for the brief connection we made and for the example he set as both a soldier and a dedicated historian.
His published works, forum contributions, and careful research continue to be valued and cited by military historians today, helping to preserve the stories of brave Canadians from the Revolutionary era through the World Wars.
From his grandparents’ courageous 1912 Atlantic crossing to his own distinguished service and lifelong scholarly work, Bill Smy’s life was one of quiet dedication, curiosity, and deep respect for those who came before us.
He was a true bridge between the old country and the new — and a wonderful reminder of how family history can connect us across generations and oceans.