Lieutenant-Colonel Bob Lidwill
8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry

We had our C.O., Bob Lidwill—a great character. He was a regular soldier who had been in GHQ in Cairo, a staff job, who dropped his rank to get back to an infantry battalion, which not many headquarters staff did. And he became our C.O., and a very brave man. He never seemed to be shaken at all. Very bold, very cool and calm despite how much stuff was flying around.

(George Pearson Chambers, IWM interview, 1988)

Born on 26 July 1914 in County Galway, Ireland, Robert Peisley Lidwill was the son of a British Army colonel and commissioned officer in the King’s Regiment since 1934. He was promoted to captain in summer 1940. His older brother Captain George Ronald Lidwill died during the Norway campaign in April 1940. Lidwill joined the 8th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry in July 1942 and fought in the North African campaign.

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