Lindsay G. Pte 4456581
Personnel Entry
Name Lindsay George
Army number 4456581
Rank Private.
Decorations Mentioned in Despatches, gazetted 15/7/1941, together with Service Awards - see photos of medals below.
Date of birth Not yet known.
Age (At the time of his death). Not yet known.
Unit Enlisted in The Durham Light Infantry, T, no exact enlistment date as yet, but his Regimental Number implies Spring/Summer 1939. Posted to the ? 6th Battalion. Posted to the 10th Battalion DLI probably 1/9/1939. Served with the B.E.F. in Northern France. Reported missing 10/5 to 20/6/1940. Known to have been captured and taken Prisoner of War 20/5/1940. Escaped from custody 30/5/1940. Made his way, via Paris, to Vichy France. Arrested and Recaptured. Escaped for a second time and made his way to Spain by December 1940. Held in a Prison Camp until repatriated via Gibraltar and returned to the UK 17/3/1941. Rejoined the Battalion 19/3/1941, Transferred to the Royal Engineers 8/12/42, and posted to No 2 Motor Transport Training Depot, (docs to Brighton 12/42). Posted to 25 Mechanical Equipment Section, Royal Engineers. Served Normandy and North West Europe 1944/45. Served in the British Army of the Rhine post-war.
Company/Battery DLI - not yet known - possibly Battalion HQ - MT Section. Royal Engineers - 25th Mechanical Equipment Section.
Platoon or other sub-unit Not yet known.
Task or role Driver.
Joined Brigade Probably 1/9/1939.
Promotions Probably Lance Corporal, judging by photographs.
Wounded Not yet known, but no mention in his notes.
Prisoner of War Yes - captured 20/5/1940, escaped 30/5/1940 - and also again later that year after being, temporarily, recaptured. For the text of Private Lindsay's interview with Military Intelligence - see below.
Died/Killed in action Date of death not yet known.
Home address Worked as a Lorry driver. Lived at 3, Back Church Street, Shildon, County Durham.
Source table 10DLI
Thanks to Paul Errington - DLI Historian - there are a series of photographs available connected with the recent sale of Private Lindsay's medals together with various military ephemera. These are set out below and thanks are extended to Paul for this extra information.
In the National Archives at Kew is the paper record of Private Lindsay's Military Intelligence interview in which he describes his exploits as follows - originally classified as MOST SECRET, and was conducted by M.I.9 on 19 May 1941. The text carefully avoids mention of those who assisted him in his escape, though these were listed on an Appendix to the document:-
"I was taken a prisoner near DOULLENS, on 20 May 1940, when my platoon was ambushed. We were taken by lorry to AMIENS. Here ten days later I was able to break away and made my way through BOULOGNE, ETAPLES, CALAIS, FREVENT to ST SAUVEUR where I found shelter for three months.
On 30 SEP I crossed the SOMME and went to PARIS, where I spent a month. I was then given a lift to LIBOURNE, where I crossed into Unoccupied FRANCE. At PERIGEUX I was arrested and taken to MARSEILLES, from where I got away in DEC., crossed into SPAIN and spent nine weeks there in concentration camps, before my release and repatriation."
