Sgt Robert Charles Lawrence DCM (RFA)

[Roger D]

I've tried and and failed miserably to track down the details of this mans DCM in the London Gazette archive. Does anyone else happen to have stumbled across it during the course of their research?

I don't know where or when it was won but he was killed on 19/10/18 serving as a Sergeant in the 231st Brigade Royal Field Artillery.

Cheers folks.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

40682 Bombardier R Lawrence HQ 2nd Brigade RFA; DCM 15th September 1915.If thats him??[Only R.Lawrence Artillery in Walkers DCM Book]

LG 14th September 1915 G.Issue:29296:~

"For Conspicious Gallantry during the attack on Hooge on 9th August 1915,He kept up Communications with the Firing Line during heavy shell fire and when the wires were cut He continued to keep touch by Flag signalling in a very exposed position"

If you search using just "Lawrence" & select date 14 September 1915;rather than WW1;you should find him {Issue 29296 in a short list of DCMs}

[rflory]

40682 Bombardier R. Lawrence, DCM of HQ, 2nd Brigade, RFA and 40682 Sjt. R. C. Lawrence, DCM (as his name is listed on his grave marker) are the same man. When Lawrence died on 19 October 1918 he was serving with C Battery, 231st Brigade, RFA and "Over There: A Commemorative History of The Old Leek Battery 1908 to 1919" indicates this about his death: "19 October. C Battery's Wagon Lines were at Fresnoy Le Grand. What took place is recorded by Charlie Spratt. 'We were billeted in a large hall. I happened to be in an adjacent ante room, when suddenly two whiz-bangs (shells from a high velocity gun) burst in the hall killing Shoeing Smith Danby, Sgt Stevenson and Sgt Lawrence, about twenty of the lads were wounded, what a mess." On page 156 of this book there is a photo of Sgt Lawrence's grave markers.

Regards. Dick Flory

[Roger D]

Many thanks to you both.

Out of curiosity I ran the other two through CWGC and it turns out that Shoeing Smith Danby's parents lived in a Staffordshire village called Church Eaton. I grew up in the next village along and frequently played against the Church Eaton teams on The War Memorial Sports Ground, the old glebe land donated to the village in perpituity post war. Strange to think one of the men commemorated there was killed in the same incident as a South Londoner that I'm currently researching.

I'll admit to not knowing much about the artillery set up in WW1. Am I right in presuming that the waggon lines was some sort of forward supplies / ammo etc store so the ammo column could easily move the required goods forward to the guns and a forward rest point meaning men could be got to the front quickly etc? Apologies if the answer is on the Long Long Trail but I don't seem to be able to access it at the moment.