Studio portrait of 1952 Driver (Dvr) Lindsay Gordon Smith MM. He was born in Wellington, NSW, the ...

Studio portrait of 1952 Driver (Dvr) Lindsay Gordon Smith MM. He was born in Wellington, NSW, the son of William Paynton Smith and Silvy Sarah Eliza Smith. Smith enlisted at Wellington on 14 September 1915 and was accepted despite having two missing fingers on his left hand. He was originally assigned to the 6th Light Horse Regiment and sailed for overseas aboard HMAT Aeneas in December 1915. On 25 January 1917, he was transferred to the 14th Field Artillery Brigade and remained a driver, serving with the 53rd Battery throughout 1917. For his action in operations from September 1917, Smith was recommended for, and awarded the Military Medal (MM). The award was announced on 19 November 1917 and read as follows: 'During the recent operations East of Ypres from 29th September 1917 to the present data, No 1952 Driver Lindsay Gordon Smith has accompanied every ammunition party to the guns situated in Hannebeke Valley SW of Zonnebeke and has never once failed to reach the Battery position even though he has been subjected to heavy shelling and delays on the road. This man is company with two other drivers made nine trips each during one night from the dump to the guns, this despite the severe conditions prevailing at the time. This man has at all times shown a cheerful willingness for any task however arduous and has proved very valuable to his Battery. His conduct is worthy of special recognition'. During his service with the Battery, Smith was wounded in action and subsequently died of his wounds on 19 October 1918. He was 29 years of age at the time of his death and is buried in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England.