Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Smith, a manure and glue manufacturer, born 1838 in Market Harborough, Leics., and his wife Janet M. Smith, born 1847 in Market Harborough, Leics. Harold Lindsay, was born in the 12th May 1880 in Market Harborough, Leics., his siblings were, Helen Johnson, a schoolgirl, born q4 1868, Laurie Lindsay, a schoolgirl, born q3 1870, Janet Mary, a schoolgirl, born q31874 and Thomas Johnson, a schoolboy, born q31875, all his siblings were born in Leics., in April 1881 the family home was at Sunny Bank, Coventry Road, Great Bowden, Leics. In April 1891 Harold was a schoolboy and was residing in the family home at Coventry Road, Great Bowden, Leics., together with his father a glue manufacturer and auctioneer, his mother and siblings, John Henry, a traveller, born q1 1870 in Leics., Laurie, a governess, Janet, a schoolgirl and Elsie, a schoolgirl, born q4 1884 in Leics. In March 1901 Harold was employed as a mechanical engineer and was residing as a boarder at 60, Saxe Coburg Street, Leicester, his brother Thomas, a mechanical engineer was also residing with him. Harold enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 12 year engagement on the 25th March 1902, and was allocated the service number 270659 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 5¾ inches in height, he had brown hair and hazel eyes, his complexion was described as fresh, he gave his trade or calling as engine fitter. His record of service began when he joined HMS Duke of Wellington as an Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class on the 25/3/02 – 29/5/02. HMS St. George, 30/5/02 – 7/11/02. HMS Good Hope, 8/11/02 – 6/9/03. HMS Good Hope, promoted to Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, 7/9/03 – 16/9/04. HMS Firequeen, 17/9/04 – 8/10/04. HMS Excellent, 9/10/04 – 5/11/04. HMS Firequeen II, 6/11/04 – 2/1/05. HMS Terrible, 3/1/05 – 10/3/05. HMS Thames, 11/3/05 – 23/3/05. HMS Thames, promoted to Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class, 24/3/05 – 17/4/06. HMS Mercury, 18/4/06 – 22/3/07. HMS Thames, 23/3/07 – 24/5/07. HMS Mercury, 25/5/07 – 27/4/08. HMS Mercury, promoted to Acting Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class, 28/4/08 – 27/4/09. HMS Mercury, promoted to Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class, 28/4/09 – 5/4/10. HMS Victory II, 6/4/10 – 8/4/10. HMS Fisgard, 9/4/10 – 25/4/10. HMS Hecla, 26/4/10 – 5/8/10. HMS Fisgard, 6/8/10 – 30/8/10. HMS Liverpool, 31/8/10 – 5/10/12. HMS Dolphin, 6/10/12 – 18/7/13. HMS Maidstone, 19/7/13 – 26/4/14. HMS Maidstone, promoted to Engine Room Artificer 1st Class, 27/4/14 – 30/6/15. HMS Adamant (S/M E.2), 1/7/15 – 29/2/16. Specially promoted to Acting Artificer Engineer with a seniority date of 1/3/16. HMS Adamant (E.2), 13/3/16. HMS Lucia, 5/8/16. Promotion confirmed to Artificer Engineer, 19/4/17. HMS Dolphin (S/M L.10), 19/11/17. HMS Maidstone (S/M L.10), 4/6/18. Ship lost, killed in S/M L.10 (Presumed lost), 6/10/18. The background relating to the circumstances in which Harold lost his life are as follows. HMS L.10 was a British L class submarine commissioned in June 1918 and destroyed by enemy action in October of the same year. Built at Dumbarton by William Denny, L.10 was a modern and advanced boat with six torpedo tubes and a 4-inch gun. She was assigned to serve in the North Sea against German surface units counteracting German efforts to sow mines in British waters. Her greatest success led to her destruction, when on the morning of the 4th October 1918, aged just under four months, the L.10 surfaced in the Heligoland Bight with the mission of intercepting a German raiding party. This group, consisting of the destroyers S34, S33, V28 and V29 had been delayed in the Bight because the S34 had detonated a mine. The other destroyers were crowded round their damaged comrade, and so it was easy for L.10's commander, Alfred Edward Whitehouse to sneak into position and put a torpedo into the S34, which rapidly began to sink. Unfortunately, as she fired, the L.10 rose suddenly to the surface and was seen instantly by the V28 and V29. Although she turned and tried to flee, L.10 was not fast enough to escape her pursuers and was rapidly chased down and sunk with all 38 hands. She was the only L class boat to be lost during the Great War.