Albert Goldsmid

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Colonel Albert Edward W. Goldsmid MVO (6 October 1846 Pune, Maharashtra - 27 March 1904) was the founder of the Jewish Lads' Brigade; he was a founder and the second president (from 1903) of the Maccabaeans.

He was the son of Henry Goldsmid. In June, 1866, he was gazetted from Sandhurst, England, to his first commission in the 104th Foot of the Bengal Fusiliers. He became adjutant of battalion in 1871, captain in May, 1878, major in 1883, lieutenant-colonel in 1888, and colonel on April 21, 1894. In 1892 Colonel Goldsmid was selected by Baron de Hirsch to supervise the Jewish colonies in Argentina, but retired from the task to take up his appointment as colonel-in-command of the Welsh regimental district at Cardiff in 1894. In 1897 he was promoted chief of staff, with the grade of assistant adjutant-general in the Thames district. At the departure of the Aldershot staff with Sir Redvers Buller in the conflict with the Boers in 1899, he acted as chief staff-officer at the camp at Aldershot, and was entrusted with the duties of mobilization. In December, 1899, when the sixth division of the South-African field force was mobilized, Goldsmid was selected as chief staff-officer to General Thomas Kelly-Kenny with the grade of assistant adjutant-general, and in that capacity was present at the battle of Paardeberg. During the earlier stages of the war he was commandant of the Orange River, Herbert, and Hay districts, 1900.

Colonel Goldsmid was an ardent Zionist, and was chief of the Chovevei Zion of Great Britain and Ireland.