Lance Corporal Lindsay James BURTON
28 Nov 1919 – 17 Jan 1943
Lindsay James BURTON was born in Waikerie, on 28th November 1919, son of Edward James Burton and Isabella Lois Burton. He was educated at the Ramco Primary and Waikerie Higher Primary Schools, fond of outdoor activities, with cricket being his main sport. Prior to enlisting Lindsay was employed by Mr. G. Brown of Ramco, and by Standard Quarries Ltd. His sister, Audrey served in the Australian Womens Army Service.
Lindsay enlisted at Waikerie, attesting on 22 June 1940 at the age of 21, joining the 2nd Australian Infantry Forces. After his enlistment and training, Lindsay was posted to the 2/10th battalion and embarked for the Middle East.
The 2/10th arrived in Egypt on 31 December 1940 and reinforced the 2/9th Battalion for an attack on 21 March 1941, They moved to Tobruk in the first week of April taking part in the defence of Tobruk until it was withdrawn at the end of August. This made Lindsay one of the famous “RATS OF TOBRUK”. After Tobruk, the 2/10th trained in Palestine and from late September 1941 to early January 1942 garrisoned Syria. It sailed for Australia on 11 February, disembarking in Adelaide on 29 March.
The men took leave and Lindsay visited Waikerie with other local men on at the end of May, 1942. They were soon transferred to Caloundra, QLD for intense jungle training with other Australian troops. Papua was the 2/10th’s next battleground and the battles it fought there were its most bitter and costly. Frank May who was also with the 2/10 died here. Lindsay was involved in some of the hardest campaigns Australia fought in at this time. Their WW2 Battle Honours include: North Africa, Defence of Tobruk, The Salient 1941, South-West Pacific 1942–1945, Buna–Gona, Cape Endaiadere–Sinemi Creek, Sanananda–Cape Killerton, Milne Bay, and Liberation of Australian New Guinea. The 2/10th’s final engagement in Papua was at Sanananda between 9 and 24 January 1943. Lance Corporal Burton was lost on 17 January 1943, Killed in Action in this bitter fighting.
Lindsay BURTON is interred in the Bomana War Cemetery in Port Moresby and is commemorated on the Australian War Memorial on the Roll of Honour.
