The Sad End of a German Spy Behind the British Line. He foolishly endeavoured to obtain information from our sign boards!! The General Staff at this time were so persistent in our labelling every defensive work or secret road that the whole thing became a huge joke. Annotated on back of picture - A Skit on a system which at first useful has now grown to an absurdity as not only are they confusing to the Infantry (to whom they are intended as a guide), but they also give all our confidential positions away to any spies, to any Germans who may capture one of the posts, the whole surrounding military features are at a glance exposed. By Lieutenant Major John Empson Tindall, MC (b.1885). He joined the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant and rose to the rank of Captain in the 1st Home Counties Field Company, Royal Engineers (later the 490th Field Company, Royal Engineers), 8th Division, BEF and then became Major commanding the 505th (Wessex) Field Company, 57th Division, BEF.