Early Life
Dorman-Smith was born in Bellamont Forest, Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland,. He was received into the Catholic Church four days after his birth as a result of his mother's pleading. His younger brothers Victor and Reggie were, however, baptized Protestant, so there is a sense in which Eric was always the outsider. His best friend as child in Cootehill was John Charles McQuaid, the local doctor's son, and later Catholic Archbishop of Dublin.
At the age of 12, he was sent to St Anthony's Catholic school in Eastbourne, Sussex into a class of boys who had known each other for four years. His Cavan accent and buck teeth made him stand out and, in the effort to modify his accent, he developed a stutter. While he was there, his parents moved to Maidenhead in England and, after a year, he was moved to a local school called Lambrook - a Protestant establishment attended by his younger brothers - whereupon his stutter vanished.
In 1910, he went to Uppingham School, Rutland, where he befriended Brian Horrocks. His father insisted that he take the entrance exam for Sandhurst in December 1912 and he scored 6969/12600, being placed 69th in the order of merit, thus obtaining one of the 172 available places. Horrocks also succeeded, ranked 171. After two terms, he passed out in exemplary fashion - leaving Horrocks to complete a third term - achieving 515/600 in military history, and 2031/2800 in general military subjects. His overall score was 7976/10,500, placing him 10th. He was commissioned lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers. During his schooldays he showed that he had strong principles, in particular there were episodes of casual anti-semitism towards friends of his that he took steps to prevent.
Dorman-Smith gained his nickname "Chink" on his first night in the officers' mess when his fellow subaltern Richard Vachell noted his resemblance to the Chinkara antelope mascot that the regiment had had to leave behind when they moved back to England from India. In a strange irony, the Northumberland Fusiliers had originally been founded from Irish followers of the Prince of Orange in 1694, before he became William III, whereas his own ancestors had fought on the other side.
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