Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

FITTER 2E LINDSAY JOHN BOTT

SERVICE No: 48392

Born at Murray Bridge on 15 December 1916, Lindsay was the son of Ellen Quirke and Leo Stanley Bott. Lindsay married Hilda Leila French at Murray Bridge on 6 July 1940 and a son, Barry John, was born on 6 August 1941. At the time of his enlistment in the RAAF Lindsay was unemployed, although he had previously been working as a solderer with T.J.Richards & Sons in Adelaide. At that time T.J.Richards and Sons were Australia’s largest motor body builders and was producing aircraft parts as part of the war effort.

25 year old Lindsay applied to enlist as a mechanic and enlisted in the RAAF at 5 Recruiting Centre, Adelaide on 19 May 1942. He was immediately posted to 1 Recruit Depot at Shepparton, Victoria and on 7 June was posted to 1 School of Technical Training at the Exhibition Building in Melbourne. Lindsay achieved a distinguished pass after completing a Flight Mechanic Course at 1 Engineering School, RAAF Showgounds, Ascot Vale from 10 August – 10 October. Now Flight Mechanic Bott he immediately undertook a Conversion Course to become a Fitter 2E, qualified to work with engines.

On 31 December 1942 Lindsay had returned to South Australia for a posting at 6 Service Flight Training School, Mallala. 6FTS was equipped with Avro Ansen and Airspeed Oxfords. Lindsay was discharged on 14 December 1945 after which he and Hilda moved to the Riverland. In 1947 Lindsay had applied for a Hawker’s Licence at Paringa. A second son, Geoffery, was born on 23 December 1949.

Lindsay died on 2 December 2010 at the age of 94, and is buried with Hilda, who had passed away fifteen years earlier, on 15 May 1995, at the age of 83. Their grave can be found in the Loxton Cemetery.

After his discharge, Lindsay was employed by Bartlett's Garage in Murray Bridge as a motor mechanic. In 1953 he moved with his family to an abandoned farm at Loxton North, SA, under the soldiers resettlement scheme.  He and Hilda worked hard to clear the land and establish a very successful dairy farm that was part dry land and part irrigated by the "overflow" from the channel system that was used to supply water to the numerous orchards that were sponsored by the scheme.

Around 1964 he sold the dairy and for the most part of his remaining working life worked in the water diversions division of the SA Engineering and Water Supply Dept.