Pte 54077 Lawrence Smith

Lawrence was born on 29th May 1878 the son of Lawrence Smith and his wife Elizabeth (nee Ryan) who married  29th April 1867 in St. Anthony’s Church, Liverpool.
His father was born in Ireland, whilst his mother was born Liverpool. Lawrence was baptized on 06th June 1878, at St. Sylvester's Church, Liverpool.

Lawrence was the youngest of six children. His siblings were Ann, James, Christina, Kate, and John.

His father Lawrence died aged 43 in May 1878, three weeks before Lawrence was born and is buried in Ford cemetery. The family residence at this time was 268 Vauxhall Road, Liverpool.

The 1881 Census shows the family are living at 2 Ashfield Street,

His widowed mother Elizabeth is the head of household, a shopkeeper, with six children aged 13 and under.

By 1891 the family are still at 2 Ashfield Street.

Lawrence's mother is a shopkeeper (sweets). Lawrence is 13 and at school.

The 1901 Census shows the family have moved to 288 Vauxhall Road.

Mother Elizabeth is a newsagent/shopkeeper working from home. Lawrence age 22 is a comcercial clerk and his sister Ann is assisting in the shop.

His mother, Elizabeth, died in May 1907, leaving £135 and 16s to Lawrence.

Lawrence married Mary Ann Burke on 19th July 1909 at St. Sylvester's Church, Liverpool, giving his address as 288 Vauxhall Road. Mary Ann was born in Bootle.

The 1911 Census shows Lawrence with his new family at 56B Silvester Street. Their first born child had sadly died in infancy. Lawrence is employed as a Poor Law Settlement Officer for the Parish of Liverpool. Lawrence and Mary Ann had two daughters. Mary was born later in 1911 and Frances in 1915.

Lawrence was serving with the 17th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 54077 when he was killed in action on 22/03/1918 aged 39, during the German Spring Offensive. 

At the time of his death, the 17th Battalion had been ordered to the defence of the area around Atilly, to try to counter the rapid German advance. At 6.30 am ’D’ Company was sent to help the 2/5th Battalion The Gloucestershire Regiment to counter attack the Germans in the area of Holnon Wood, which it did successfully. Four hours later, the Battalion was ordered to move to a position know as Aviation Wood, to join the Headquarters of the 21st Brigade, but because of heavy shellfire, this move took four hours, and by the time the 17th Battalion had got there, the HQ and staff of the Brigade had gone. Then, as the Germans were making a strong attack at nearby Flesquires, the Battalion deployed around the wood. Eventually at 18.30 orders were received that all 30th Division troops had to withdraw to Ham, and the Battalion accordingly pulled back, reaching the town at around 21.30.

His body was not recovered from the Battlefield and his name is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

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.

Listed as killed in the Weekly Casualty List 14th May 1918 - Smith 54077 L. (Liverpool).

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Mary Ann, 21 Grey Rd, Walton.

Probate – shows his family lived at 56b Silvester Street, and his estate was left  to his widow Mary Ann. It totalled £102 11s 7d.

Lawrence is commemorated on St. Anthony’s R.C. Church Memorial, Scotland Road, Liverpool.

HIs widow Mary Ann never remarried, and died in 1960.

His two daughters who were aged six and two when their father died, grew up to marry, have children, and live long lives.

 

 

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