   major general sir nevill maskelyne smyth  (14 august 1868 â 21 july 1941) was a senior officer in the british army and a recipient of the victoria cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to british and commonwealth forces. ==early life== born the son of sir warington wilkinson smyth, a noted geologist, his grandfather was admiral william henry smyth. his father's sister henrietta grace powell was robert baden-powell's mother making baden-powell, the founder of the scout movement, smyth's first cousin.bp's cousin: sir nevill maskelyne smyth, v.c. smyth was educated at westminster school and graduated from the royal military college, sandhurst, in 1888. he was posted to the queen's bays (2nd dragoon guards) in india as a second lieutenant on 22 august 1888. in 1890 he was attached to the royal engineers to assist with a railway survey during the zhob valley expedition. ==sudan== 1896 saw him stationed in cairo with his regiment, and he was promoted lieutenant on 26 april.{{londongazette|issue=266
1868_births 1941_deaths 2nd_Dragoon_Guards_(Queen\'s_Bays)_officers 3rd_Carabiniers_officers 3rd_Dragoon_Guards_officers Australian_generals Australian_military_personnel_of_World_War_I British_Army_cavalry_generals_of_World_War_I British_Army_personnel_of_the_Mahdist_War British_Army_personnel_of_the_Second_Boer_War British_Army_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross British_recipients_of_the_Victoria_Cross Carabiniers_(6th_Dragoon_Guards)_officers Egyptian_military_officers English_emigrants_to_Australia Graduates_of_the_Royal_Military_College,_Sandhurst Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_the_Bath Nationalist_Party_of_Australia_politicians Officiers_of_the_LA(c)gion_d\'honneur People_educated_at_Westminster_School,_London People_from_Westminster Recipients_of_the_Croix_de_Guerre_(Belgium) Recipients_of_the_Order_of_Osmanieh Recipients_of_the_Order_of_the_Medjidieh