Date of birth: October 16,  1894

Link to Wagga: Place of enlistment

Date of enlistment: July 31, 1917

Age at enlistment: 22 years 9 months

Occupation: Farmer

Religion: Presbyterian

Next of kin: Father, John Irons, Boree Creek

Battalion or Regiment: 25th Reinforcements, 4th Battalion, Canadian Tunnelling Company, 1st Brigade

Battlefields: France, Belgium

Outcome: Returned to Australia, ‘Prinz Ludwig’, July 10, 1919

LAWRENCE lived at Boree Creek, and although his attestation papers record this as his birthplace, other records suggest that he was in fact born at Kaniva, Victoria.

A farmer by occupation, he was living with his family at ‘Pleasant View’, Boree Creek  when he enlisted.

The son of John and Elizabeth (née Pascoe), Lawrence had three younger brothers -

Gordon William (b. 1896), Reuben Peter (b. 1898) and Raymond James (b. 1900) and a sister, Pearl Doreen.

Of his siblings, Gordon also enlisted, joining the 18^th Battalion in February, 1915.

Sadly, 20-year-old Gordon was killed in action during the Battle of Pozières.

Embarking from Sydney aboard HMAT A14 ‘Euripides’ on October 3, 1917, Lawrence marched into training camp in England, where he spent four months before proceeding to the battlefields of France in April, 1918.

In January, 1915, it had become apparent to the British Expeditionary Forces

at the Western Front that the Germans were mining to a planned system.

As a result, the Allied forces needed to investigate the suitability of forming mining units.

The tunnelling units were occupied in offensive and defensive mining which involved the placing and maintaining of mines under enemy lines, as well as carrying out other underground work including the construction of deep dugouts for troop accommodation, the digging of subways, saps (a narrow trench dug to approach enemy trenches), cable trenches and underground chambers for signals and medical services.

It was difficult, dirty and dangerous work.

In May, 1918, Lawrence was attached to the Canadian Tunnelling Company.

He worked with them for a month before rejoining the 4th Battalion.

In 1918, the men of the 4th were based in the Somme Valley.

Here, they helped to stop the German Spring Offensive in March and April.

The battalion subsequently participated in the Allies’ great offensive of that year, launched east of Amiens on August 8,1918.

The advance on this day by the Allies was the greatest success in a single day on the Western Front, and was described by German General Erich Ludendorff as “the black day of the German Army in this war”.

Lawrence was once again transferred in July, 1918, this time to the 1st Brigade, where he carried out guard duty.

April, 1919, saw Lawrence admitted to the 2nd Australian Field Ambulance to be treated for scabies, and he received treatment at the 39th Australian General Hospital.

Lawrence returned home to Australia three months later.

On May 24, 1922, he married Edith Maude Smith and took up the occupation of storekeeper.

They had three children, born in Corowa and Balldale.

Edith worked as a dressmaker.

Lawrence, known as ‘Pa’ to his family, died in Corowa in 1964.

He was 70 years old.