Robert Lawrie

Military Information

  • Date of enlistment: May 1915
  • Place of enlistment: HMS Unicorn, Dundee
  • Service no: Clyde Z/4328
  • Rank: Able Seaman
  • Service Occupation:
  • Awards:
  • Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
  • Unit/Ship: Hawke Batalion, R.N. Div
  • Place of Death: France
  • Age at Death: 35
  • Date of Death: 13.11.1916
  • Burial Country: France
  • Cemetery: Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel
  • Grave/Mem Ref no: III.E.25.

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth:
  • Place of Birth:
  • Address: 16 Lawson Pl, Dundee
  • Occupation: Labourer
  • Mother:

    Jane Lawrie, 16 Lawson Pl, Dundee

  • Father:

    Robert Lawrie,16 Lawson Pl, Dundee

  • Siblings:
  • Spouse:
  • Children:

More about Robert Lawrie

Robert Lawrie   CZ/4328   Hawke Bn  R.N.D.

LAWRIE—In memory of Robert Lawrie, A.B. Royal Naval Division, who was killed in action on 13th November 1916, eldest son of Robert Lawrie, 16 Lawson Place, Dundee.

Dundee People’s Journal 17th November 1917

Robert Lawrie was the son of Mrs Jane Lawrie, 16 Lawson Place, Dundee and also c/o Mrs Livingstone, 281 Hawkhill, Dundee and worked as a Labourer. In May 1915 he volunteered to join the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve onboard HMS Unicorn for service in the Royal Naval Division. After initial Naval Training at the Crystal Palace in South London he was sent to Blandford Camp in Dorset for advanced military training. In September he was drafted to the Hawke Battalion serving in Gallipoli and arrived in theatre in October. He survived Gallipoli and, after the withdrawal in January 1916, his battalion undertook garrison duties in the Aegean. In May, the Hawke Battalion sailed to Marseille and entrained for the Western Front. In September he was hospitalised with scabies. After training in Army tactics the RND experienced the war on the Western Front and was being prepared to join in the Somme battle. One of the first day’s objectives of the British attack on 1 July 1916 was the capture of the village of Beaucourt just to the west of the River Ancre. It was finally taken on 14 November by the men of the RND. This was the first major operation by the RND in France and established a reputation for being a “Can Do” Division. However, the casualty list was very long and over 30 local men were killed and countless more wounded. This was the worst ever day for Dundee’s Naval forces in the First World War. Robert Lawrie was first listed as missing but his body was found and buried in No3 Trench Cemetery. He was reinterred in the Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont Hamel in 1917.

Information supplied by Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie

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