Our village website has just published a document about our village and in the small section pertaining to out two war memorials it indicates that the abovenamed won the Military Medal before losing his life in WW1. Can anybody help me find out what he did and how he lost his life? Thanks p.s. not sure that I have put this in the correct place!
Hi CT, Is this your man? If so i can check through my datasheets and see if it has how he died and also check so other publications for you. Name: LAWRENCE, ALBERT HENRY Initials: A H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Lance Serjeant Regiment/Service: Northamptonshire Regiment Unit Text: 5th Bn. Age: 22 Date of Death: 11/08/1917 Service No: 10012 Awards: M M Additional information: Son of William and Caroline Lawrence, of Hartwell, Northants. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: I. J. 13. Cemetery: TILLOY BRITISH CEMETERY, TILLOY-LES-MOFFLAINES Mike
Hi Mike Thanks. Yes that is the gentleman. The entry in the London Gazette is made on 15.06.1916 and is prefaced by a short note from the commanding officer in April. It is very general and includes many names so any further information would be brilliant. How would I go about getting information from the regiment? Was the decoration made at a major battle? Did he survive that only to lose his life in a similar situation? Do I need or is it advisable to seek the family's permission first (I don't even know if they still live in the village)? I will also contact the ladies who have done the research about the village to see if they simply did not publish whatever else they may have learned. Keep you posted. CT
Hi CT, I have checked my datasheets, as you know many are listed as DOW or In Action but there is nothing against his name. Here is a bit of imfo on the Battalion for you. 5th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) Formed at Northampton in August 1914 as part of K1 and attached as Army Troops to 12th (Eastern) Division. Moved initially to Shorncliffe and on to Hythe in November 1914. January 1915 : converted into Pioneer Battalion for same Division. Moved to Aldershot in February 1915. 30 May 1915 : landed in France. Between 17 May and 19 October 1917, the Division held positions east of Monchy le Preux, mounting several raids and small scale attacks and beating off some made against them, notably in the area of Hook Trench - Pick Avenue - Tites Copse. Much manual work took place, for the position held in May was of shell holes and disconnected parts of trenches, with few dugouts and no communications. Though his MM was gazetted in 1916 it may have been sometime in getting through so could of been put forward for it even as early as 1915. So its hard to find out exactly when it was won and for what battle. If your anywhere near the regimental museum it maybe worth popping in and asking the staff there if they have a copy of the units war diary. Most regiments now are producing their own war diaries on cd. You ceratinly don't need the families permission to research him though if they still live in the village they could be a huge source of imformation for you, and then again they may know nothing about him. From what i can see if the note came from the CO in April he may have been involved with the mine explosions at Hohenzollern Redoubt and the fighting that took place until the division was relieved on the 26th April. The Division had around 4000 casualties from 2nd March until relieved but here is a little bit of what imformation i have on that for you. The area of the Hohenzollern Redoubt had in the meantime become one where underground mine warfare was very active. A plan was evolved that required 4 mines to be blown under the enemy positions, which would be followed by an infantry assault aimed at capturing the enemy front trench called "The Chord". 36th Brigade made the attack after 170 Tunnelling Company RE detonated the mines at 5.45pm on 2 March 1916, successfully capturing the craters and gaining important observation over enemy lines as far as Fosse 8. Severe fighting in the crater area continued for some weeks, with the Division suffering more than 4000 casualties until being finally relieved on 26 April. A period of rest and training began, until finally - beginning with the RE Field Companies - the Division moved to the Somme. What are you planning to do with your research? Take care Mike
