| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
John William Lawson, known as Jack, was born at Meaux the 29 Jul 1894 and baptised at the parish church of St Peter, Wawne the 25 Aug 1894, the son of John William Lawson, a shepherd, and his wife Elizabeth, formerly Atkinson, nee Hullock.
Private 3260 John Lawson enlisted in the 5th Battalion, Alexander Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment on 13 Apr 1915 and was soon promoted to the rank of Corporal. On 7 Jul 1916, he embarked on the paddle steamer SS 'Golden Eagle' at Folkestone for Boulogne with a draft of reinforcements. At Forceville, Somme, on the 18/19 Jul 1916 one hundred and twenty men of the Yorkshire Regiment were attached, then later transferred to, the 1/4th (Hallamshire) Battalion, York and Lancaster Regiment as replacements for that Battalion's losses in the Thiepval Sector.
It was reported in the Beverley Guardian of 7 Jul 1917 that Corporal J Lawson, aged 23, of the York and Lancaster Regiment had been wounded in the thigh and leg. Following a period of hospitalisation and convalescence he was discharged from the Army as physically unfit on 5 Apr 1918. As a wounded man who was now a civilian, he was awarded the Silver War Badge and King's Certificate of Discharge, dated 29 May 1918 – proof that he had “done his bit”. Later, he was also awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
John married Minnie Moore on the 5 Aug 1918 at Stoke-next-Guildford, Surrey. Minnie was born in Guildford, the daughter of a blacksmith. At the time of the 1911 Census she was 'in service' in Kent, working as a housemaid at Sheerland House, Surrenden Park, Pluckley, the home of Sir Henry E Dering. When the National Registration was taken in September 1939, Jack and Minnie were living at 189 Stoughton Road, Stoke-next-Guildford and Jack was a motor engineers' labourer.
Jack died in Surrey in 1962 aged 67, Minnie died in 1994, just a few weeks short of her one hundred and third birthday.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |