Schmidt was born in Landskrona, Sweden, the son of the banker, vice district judge Martin Schmidt and his wife Elisabeth Jeanette, née Bruzelius. After passing studentexamen in 1917, he became a second lieutenant in the Wendes Artillery Regiment in 1919 and studied at the Artillery and Engineering College from 1921 to 1924. Schmidt was promoted to lieutenant in 1923 and was lieutenant in the anti-aircraft artillery in 1928. He served as a artillery staff officer from 1932 to 1937 and was promoted to captain in 1934 and was assistant teacher at Artillery and Engineering College from 1934 to 1938. Schmidt was promoted to major in 1937 and was director of the Armed Forces Chemical Institute from 1937 to 1945. Schmidt was major in the Svea Artillery Regiment in 1940 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1942. He was administrative director of the Defence Research Council from 1943 to 1945, head of department at the Defence Staff from 1945 to 1959 and was promoted to colonel in the Swedish Army in 1947. Schmidt served at the Defence Staff from 1948 to 1959 and held the rank of colonel 1st class from 1956 to 1959. He was also head of section at the Defence Staff in 1959 and was placed in the reserve the same year. He had assignment abroad in 1931, 1936–39, 1941, 1946 and 1950.
Other work
Schmidt was assisting in the Air Protection Investigation in 1936 and was a member of Atomic Committee from 1945 to 1959 and board member of the Swedish National Defence Research Institute from 1945 to 1959 as well as the Review Board for Certain Patents from 1946 to 1959. He was chairman of the Defence Missile Board from 1948 to 1959, member of the Inquiry Concerning Protection Against Bacteriological Warfare from 1949 to 1951 and the Defence Medical Board of the Medical Research Council from 1951 to 1959. Schmidt was an expert in the Defence Medical Research Organization in 1959 and the Defence Medical Research Advisory Committee from 1959 to 1962. He became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences in 1944 He served as a teacher and in insurance companies from 1960 to 1969.
Personal life
Schmidt was married 1926–1936 to Elsa Elin Märta Vult von Steyern, the daughter of lieutenant colonel Nils Vult von Steyern and Eva Hammar. He married a second time in 1938 to Karen Margrete Beatrice Bruun von Neergaard, the daughter of landowner, major Alfried Bruun von Neergaard and Marion, née Schlubach. He was the father of Holger, Harald and Christer. Schmidt died in 1996 and was buried in Landskrona Cemetery.
