Pte 203773 Lawrence Green

• Age: 38
• From: Burnley, Lancs
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 18th April 1918
• Commemorated at: Mont-noir M C St Jans-cappel
  Panel Ref: II.D.8

Lawrence was born in Burnley in the December quarter of 1879 the son of Lawrence Green and his wife Mary (nee Doonal). 

On the 1881 Census the family are living in Pickup Street, Burnley, Lawrence is aged 1 and is living with his parents and two siblings. His father, Lawrence, is a 47 year old cotton weaver,  whilst his mother Mary is aged 40 and was born in Ireland. His siblings are shown as; Michael a 16 year old cotton weaver born in Ireland, and Mary aged 8 was born in Blackburn.

His father died in the December quarter of 1898, aged 62.

On 1901 census he is aged 20, a cotton weaver living in James Street, Padiham, Burnley with his widowed mother aged 60.

He married Catherine Flatley in Burnley, in 1909. Catherine was  born in Padiham. They had three children; Winifred born in the March quarter of 1912, Teresa born in the March quarter of 1913 and Angela born in the September quarter of 1915.

Prior to the war, Lawrence was employed as a Cotton Weaver and he was living in Padiham, Lancashire.

His mother died in the March quarter of 1917, aged 76.  

Lawrence was serving in the 19^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 203773, attached to the Machine Gun Corps, when he was killed in action on the 18th April 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion diary entry for the day reveals that 10 Other Ranks were killed during heavy shelling of the area.  

18^th April

No aggressive action on either side. The activity being confined to artillery. The French had come up in great force and  assisted our artillery with the famous “75s”. The Battn came under heavy shell fire at one period. 10 O.R. being killed and 3 wounded.

The weather, which up to this time had been quite good, turned and snow, rain and hail fell.

Lawrence was one of the 10 Other Ranks referred to in the diary.

He now rests at Mont-Noir Military Cemetery, St. Jans-Cappel, France.

The hill was captured by the Cavalry Corps on the 13th October 1914, and held throughout the Battles of the Lys, 1918. On the North side of the Berthen-Westoutre road, is the Battle Memorial of the 34th Division, marking the final position of Divisional Headquarters in the Battles of the Lys. The Cemetery was made in April-September 1918, and at the Armistice it contained 91 British graves and 33 French (all of the 26th Dragoons or the 88th Infantry Regiment). It was then enlarged by the concentration of British and French graves (including one of November 1914) from the battlefields immediately South of it and the following cemetery:- WOLFHOEK BRITISH CEMETERY, ST. JANS-CAPPEL, which was by the roadside, nearly 200 metres South-West of the hamlet of Wolfhoek and contained the graves of 23 United Kingdom soldiers. It was made in August-September 1918, mainly by the 36th (Ulster) Division. Also, near the centre of the cemetery, are the graves of two unidentified British soldiers of the 1939-1945 War. There are now 149 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war here, 15 being unidentified. There are 2 unidentified Commonwealth burials of the 1939-1945 war here. There are also 84 French burials of the 1914-1918 war here. The cemetery covers an area of 1,315 square metres and is enclosed by a low rubble wall.

He left a widow, Catherine and three children; Winifred, Teresa and Angela. 

Soldiers Effects and Pension to widow Catherine and children Winifred, Theresa and Angela

His widow Catherine was living with daughter Angela on the 1939 register at 4 Cotton Street, Padiham

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