Capt Joseph Lawson

• Age: 31
• From: Waterloo, Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

The "Pals" lost a true hearted officer when Joseph Lawson fell on March 22nd, 1918. He enlisted in the 18th Battalion K.L.R on its formation, and it was his unusual privilege not only to be gazetted to it as an officer, but to have command of the actual Company in which he once served as a private. Captain Lawson was thus one of the oldest, as he was amongst the most popular, members of that splendid Corps of citizen warriors, and many were the comrades who were attracted by his singular charm and kindliness of spirit.

Colonel Clayton has himself testified that so long as he was in command his Company would be well looked after, for he possessed his men's confidence in an exceptional degree. Lawson had in fact previously won his commission as a sergeant on the field, and he advanced very rapidly to his captaincy. He fell at last a victim of a sniper, whose bullet entered his heart, death being instantaneous and painless. It occurred at Vaux, when the enemy had commenced to force our troops to retreat, and he had just ordered his section to retire after a gallant effort to hold their position.

He was thirty one years of age, and the son of Mr and Mrs. Joseph Lawton of 103 South Road, Waterloo. Completing his education at Waterloo College and Blundellsands High School, he entered the service of Mr. F.H. Shubrook, in Castle Street, and was acting as representative of Messrs Peter Scott & Co. at Hawick, NB, when the call came for him to enter the army. In his business relations he had a name for reliability and thoroughness. He was very fond of sport. For some years he played hockey for Hightown, and as a tennis enthusiast he was a member of the Hougoumont Club at Waterloo. He had, moreover, cultural musical tastes, and these he turned to account to a church organ. 

"Joe" as he was affectionately known had a large band of friends, and they admired him for his frank nature and many stirling qualities. 

The above extract was taken from Liverpool Scroll of Fame. 

Joseph was born in Waterloo, Liverpool in 1886 the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Lawson (nee Neale). He was baptised at St John's Church, Waterloo on 28th December 1886. His father is shown as a flour dealer and the family are living at Norma Road. Joseph and Elizabeth had married 20th Aug 1879 at Christ Church, Everton. Joseph 27 of 121 Heyworth St, Elizabeth 28 of Hoylake. 

The 1891 Census shows the family are living at South Road, Waterloo. His father is shown as a Bread Shopkeeper born in Liverpool in 1852, whilst his mother Elizabeth was born in Lancashire in 1851. Joseph is 14 years of age and the youngest child, he has two brothers Richard N. a breadshopkeeper's manager born in 1881, John  an apprentice ship engineer born in 1882  and a sister Elizabeth born 1885. There are also two servants in the household.  

By 1901 the Census shows the family at 103 South Road and the composition of the family is the same as in 1891. Two servants are in the household.

The 1911 Census finds the family still at 103 South Road.

Both parents are still present in the household. Joseph is now 24 years of age and a Commission Agent. His sister Elizabeth Jane is still living at home. 

He enlisted in Liverpool joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 16589. He had risen to the rank of Serjeant when he was discharged to commission on 29th May 1917. 

He won a Field Commission in battle. So he was always held in the esteem of the Battalion, so much so that when his Commission was Gazetted, he was attached to his old Company (No. 2),and as a Captain, eventually commanded it. The Battalion Commander, at the time, Lieutenant Colonel G H Clayton, was of the opinion that when Lawson was in command of the Company, it was well looked after, ‘as he possessed his men’s confidence to an exceptional degree’.

At the time of his death, the Battalion was was in the St Quentin sector of France behind the Battle Zone at the village of Vaux, awaiting the expected offensive by the Germans. When the attack came, on 21st March, the enemy penetrated the line swiftly and successfully ; the Battalion was hurried forward to help fill the breach. It moved forward to Steen Wood after receiving a report that the enemy had penetrated the village of Roupy, just ahead. On the following morning, 22nd March, the Battalion was called upon to send carrying parties forward to Stevens Redoubt, which was a fortified position on the northern edge of the Battle Zone held by the 2nd Battalion The Bedfordshire Regiment.

One Officer and fifty men were sent for this purpose, and they were then retained to help in the Redoubts defence. By 10.00am,the enemy broke through on the left flank of the defensive system, and the GOC of the 90th Infantry Brigade called for two companies to be moved forward to make a Counter-Attack. As a result, No.2 Company under Captain Lawson, and No.3 Company, under Captain Sheard were sent but when they got there, they discovered that the situation was so serious, that a Counter-Attack was out of the question. The two Companies were then retained for the defence of the Redoubt, and fought until the garrison was withdrawn in the afternoon.

By this time, Captain Lawson was dead. As he gave the order to his Company to retire, a sniper shot him through the heart and he died instantly. He was aged thirty one. His body was not found and identified after the war, and he is Commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing of the Fifth Army at Pozieres, Somme. The Memorial Register erroneously lists his Company as ‘C’Company.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

SDGW show his date of death as 22nd March 1918 while the CWGC have him listed as 21st March 1918.  

He was engaged to be married as his fiance placed a notice in the local press at the time of his death:

LAWSON - March 21st Killed in action, Captain Lawson (Joe), dearly loved fiance of Bertha Swift, "Sheebra", Liverpool Road, Crosby.   

His death was reported in the Liverpool Echo on 03rd April 1918

ROLL OF HONOUR

Killed In Acton

LAWSON - March 21, killed in action, Captain JOSEPH LAWSON K.L.R., the dearly loved youngest son of Joseph and Elizabeth Lawson, 103 South Road, Waterloo.

He is also commemorated on the Memorial at St John's Church, St Johns Rd, Waterloo, where he was baptised.

Joe is remembered on the family gravestone at St Helen's C.of E. graveyard, Sefton. The Inscription reads: 

Sacred to the memory of Joseph Lawson of Waterloo the beloved husband of Elizabeth who fell asleep October 17th 1925 aged 74 years

Also Captain Joseph Lawson (Joe) 18th K.L.R. youngest son of the above killed in action March 21st 1918 at Loos St. Quentin aged 32 years

Also Elizabeth, the much loved wife of the above who died Sept 5th 1927 at Sydney Australia aged 76 years

Soldiers Effects to father Joseph, no Pension record found (KIA 22nd Mar 1918).

His father Joseph died in 1925 and his mother left for Australia in 1927 to be with son John, and probably died over there as there are no civil UK record of her death in the UK.

We currently have no further information on Joseph Lawson. If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.