George Edward Lawrence was born in Oswestry in 1888, the second son of Thomas, a house painter and decorator, and Ellen. Ellen was Thomas’s second wife (married in 1886); Jane, his first wife, died in 1884. The family lived on Lorne Street and included his half brothers Brady (1881), Alfred (1884 -1892) and sister Mary E. (1887). By 1901 they had moved to 2 Trinity Street, Albert Road. There were six more children; John H (1891) Lillian (1893), Thomas (1895-1905), Mabel (1897), Harold (1900-1901) and Baden Powell (1901), the latter patriotically named after Baden Powell, hero of the contemporaneous Boer War. They would move again, this time to Signal Terrace, Albert Road. George joined the army in late 1907 when he turned 18 and enlisted in 2 Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry. At the outbreak of war he was serving with the battalion in India. The battalion returned to England and then crossed over to France on 21 December 1914.

The 2 Bn KSLI had left the Ypres Salient on 30 May and moved down to Armentières. All were glad to be leaving Ypres. The new sector was much quieter, dryer and more comfortable. They would remain around Armentières until mid-September. During the night of 8 June the battalion was due to relieve the 4 Bn King’s Royal Rifle Corps. As the column was making its way forward during the evening a shell hit the road. One man was killed, George and two others were wounded. George died a short time later. He is buried at Erquinghem-Lys Churchyard Extension near to Armentières. He is also commemorated on war memorials at  St Oswald’s Church and Holy Trinity Church in Oswestry.

Acknowledgements.

References and Sources

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