BORN – Oswestry
HOMEFRONT – Place / Occupation – solicitor and Director of Croxon Bank/ War Memorials – Gobowen / Hengoed / Selattyn / St Oswald’s Church / School – Winchester School / Oriel College, Oxford
UNIT – 9 Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Rgt.)
RANK – Captain (Temporary Captain)
THEATRE – Somme / Gueudecourt. 9 Bn Royal Fusiliers (City of London Rgt.) 7 October 1916
DIED – KIA 7 October 1916. Aged 29.
COMMEMORATED – Thiepval Memorial (grave unknown). (CWGC)
Herbert Martin Benson Lawford was born in 1887 at Oswestry, the only son of Martin Lawford, a solicitor, and Emily Lawford; he had two sisters; Agnes (elder) and Nora (younger). In 1891 the family were living at 28 Upper Brook Street, Oswestry with cook, maid and nurse for the children. By 1901 they had moved to live at ‘Trewern’ a 25 room country farmhouse at Hengoed with a domestic staff of 5 servants. Herbert attended public school, first at Moorland House Prep School at Heswall and then at Winchester College (1900-05) – where in April 1901 he won the three-legged race with another boy from his house in the school sports. After Winchester he had gone up to Oriel College, Oxford, where he had taking up rowing. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and then went into law, taking his articles with a firm in West Drayton and, in October 1911, joined Longueville & Co. solicitors in Oswestry. He was also a Director of Croxon Bank in Oswestry.
Herbert had been in Winchester School OTC and at the outbreak of war joined the Royal Fusiliers – probably influenced by his old school along with other old boys, or ‘Wykehamists’, who also enlisted in the regiment, and who were his contemporaries. Three of whom fell during the same action in which Herbert was lost. He was commissioned Lieutenant in October 1914 and promoted to Captain in June 1915 when the battalion went over to France. He was wounded in March 1916 at Hohenzollen Redoubt near Hulloch (Loos) and returned to France in September. He was KIA on 7 October 1916 while leading his company in an attack on trenches west of Gueudecourt during the Somme Offensive (Transloy Ridge / Ligny Thilloy). He was at first reported as missing – it was not until 9 months later, in May 1917, that he was officially declared dead. His body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial. Herbert is also recorded on war memorials at St Oswald’s Church. Oswestry, Gobowen, Hengoed, Selattyn, Winchester School and at Oriel College, Oxford.
Acknowledgements. additional information and photo – Warden and Scholars of Winchester College.