Arthur Smout
(1888-1961) 1961 Obituary
Sir Arthur Smout (18 November 1888 – 21 February 1961) was first Director-General of Small Arms Production for the British Armed Forces during World War II and later became Director-General of Ammunition Production at the Ministry of Supply. Before the war Smout was managing director of Imperial Chemical Industries metals group and later served on the company's board of directors until 1953.
Early life
Arthur John Griffiths Smout was born in Birmingham, England on 18 November 1888, the eldest of three brothers. He was educated at King Edward's School in Birmingham, and Birmingham Municipal Technical School. Smout started his career in 1905 as a student apprentice at Elliott’s Metal Co in Birmingham, while also studying part-time at Birmingham University and gaining the full technological certificate of the City and Guilds of London Institute in 1909. He worked in various analytical chemistry and metallurgy positions at Elliot’s and by 1920 he had become works manager of the various Elliot’s factories.
Business career
From 1924 to 1934 Smout was production director of Elliott’s Metal Co, which became part of Imperial Chemical Industries in 1928. He was appointed joint managing director of Imperial Chemical Industries metals group and then from 1936, chairman of I.C.I. Metals, Ltd which had factories in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Leeds, Manchester and Swansea. In 1944 he was appointed to the ICI main board and remained as a Director until 1953. During his time with the company Smout was responsible for their ammunition and metal production.
The public source identifies “Arthur Smout” as (1888-1961) 1961 Obituary. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Arthur, Smout and 1888-1961.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Arthur Smout”, the useful work is to connect “(1888-1961) 1961 Obituary” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q63162455. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1888, 1961, 1953 and 1905.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Arthur Smout”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Arthur Smout primary sources, Arthur Smout archive and Arthur research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Arthur Smout”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Arthur Smout” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.