Alfred van der Smissen

Alfred van der Smissen, 2nd Baron van der Smissen (1 February 1823 - 16 June 16 1895) was a Belgian general.

Biography
He started his career in the French Foreign Legion before serving in the Belgian Legion in the Second Franco-Mexican War.

Family
Alfred van der Smissen is the second son of Jacques Van der Smissen, 1st Baron van der Smissen [ fr], a Belgian artillery officer who enlisted in 1807 in Napoleon's Grande Armée, where he obtained the rank of major. His mother was Louise Catherine Colleton Graves, daughter of Rear Admiral Richard Graves (1758-1836) and niece of Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves, who took part in the landing of the French expeditionary force of Jean-Baptiste-Donatien de Vimeur de Rochambeau near Yorktown.

Honours and arms

 * BEL - Order of Leopold - Grand Officer bar.svg Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold


 * Legion of Honour - Commander (France).png Commander of the Legion of Honour


 * Order of the Lion and Sun (Iran) - Medal.svg Order of the Lion and the Sun First Class


 * Order of the Medjidie lenta.png Order of the Medjidie Third Class


 * BEL Militair Kruis 2klasse BAR.svg Military Cross


 * Order of Saint Anna ribbon bar.svg Order of Saint Anna, 1st class with diamonds


 * PRU Roter Adlerorden BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Red Eagle


 * ESP Charles III Order GC.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III


 * D-PRU Hohenzollern Order BAR.svg Cross of Honour 1st Class of the Princely House Order of Hohenzollern


 * Imperial Order of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico) - ribbon bar.gif Order of Guadalupe


 * PRT Military Order of Aviz - Grand Cross BAR.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz


 * Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau ribbon.svg Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau


 * Imperial Order of the Mexican Eagle - ribbon bar.jpg Imperial Order of the Mexican Eagle


 * Medaille commemorative de l'expedition du Mexique ribbon.svg Commemorative medal of the Mexico Expedition


 * AUT Imperial Order of Leopold ribbon.svg Knight of the Order of Leopold (Austria)


 * PRU Order of Crown ribbon.svg 2nd Class Order of the Crown (Prussia)