Walter Lindsay
Major-General Sir Walter Fullarton Lodovic Lindsay KCB DSO (15 May 1855 – 7 March 1930) was a British Army officer who was a senior figure in the Royal Artillery during the First World War.
Sir Walter Lindsay | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 May 1855 |
| Died | 7 March 1930 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands held | West Lancashire Division |
| Battles/wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order |
Military career
Lindsay was born into a Scottish family in Kensington, London, the son of Captain Alexander Lindsay of the 8th Hussars, and his wife, Jane. He was educated in Scotland before continuing to the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich.[1]
He followed his father into the Army, joining the Royal Artillery and seeing overseas service in the Egyptian Campaign of 1882 and the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1900. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his service in South Africa. He later rose to command the Southern Division of the artillery in 1906, and in 1912 was appointed to command the West Lancashire Division of the Territorial Force. On the outbreak of the First World War, he was appointed as the chief artillery officer of the British Expeditionary Force, with the rank of Major-General.[2]
He served on the Western Front for the first months of the war; however, there were few centralised artillery forces commanded by corps or GHQ at this stage, and as a result Lindsay was sidelined and rarely involved in field operations. He was replaced by John du Cane in January 1915, returning home with a knighthood and appointed as the Inspector of Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. He was later briefly commander of 50th (Northumbrian) Division before retiring in 1917.[3]
He died in London after a long illness.[1]
References
- "Obituary: Major-General Sir Walter Lindsay". The Times. The Times Digital Archive. 10 March 1930. p. 19.
- "LINDSAY, Maj.-Gen. Sir Walter (Fullarton Lodovic)", in Who Was Who (2007). Online edition
- Marble, Sanders (2013). British artillery on the Western Front in the First World War. Farnham: Ashgate. pp. 63, 65. ISBN 978-1409411109.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Edward Bethune |
General Officer Commanding the West Lancashire Division 1912-1914 |
Succeeded by Frederick Hammersley |
| Preceded by Benjamin Burton |
GOC 50th (Northumbrian) Division April 1915 – June 1915 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Cavan |