Corporal Walter Lawrence pays homage to great grandfather during battlefield tour

An infantry section commander has had the opportunity to visit the battlefield where his great-grandfather fought over 100 years ago. Read why he found the experience humbling.

3RAR Section Commander, Corporal Walter Lawrence said his great grandfather, Lawrence Howard Lawrence fought during the Battle of the Somme with the 31st battery, 8th Field Artillery Brigade.

During World War I, a young farmer from Geelong found himself fighting in one of the bloodiest battles the world had ever seen.

More than 100 years later, his great-grandson was able to stand on the ground he fought on, wearing a similar uniform.

After successfully gaining a silver distinction in the Welsh-hosted Cambrian Patrol, an infantry section from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) underwent a battlefield tour in France which included the Battle of the Somme.

Section Commander, Corporal Walter Lawrence, said his great grandfather, Lawrence Howard Lawrence, fought during the Battle of the Somme with the 31st battery, 8th Field Artillery Brigade.

“It was an incredible experience … very humbling because of how tragic it was early on in the war,” Corporal Lawrence said.

“Luckily, he wasn’t on the list of names of the fallen because he survived, but I was able to ask the guide about my great-grandfather’s role, so I got to learn a bit about that.”

After successfully gaining a silver distinction in the Welsh-hosted Cambrian Patrol, an infantry section from the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) underwent a battlefield tour in France which included the Battle of the Somme.

“He was an artillery horse driver, and the guide said the Australians were fantastic with that, so dexterous because they had an upbringing working with horses, so it’s cool to get that level of information and just really humbling.”

The 1916 Somme offensive is known as one of the largest and bloodiest battles of world war, with the British Army sustaining 57,000 casualties during the first day of battle.

When the offensive concluded, the British and dominion troops had suffered 430,000 casualties.

The section visited the Sir John Monash Memorial, which commemorates Australian servicemen and women who served on the Western Front during the First World War.

Corporal Lawrence said he hadn’t expected the level of appreciation the people living in surrounding towns would have for Australia, thanks to their sacrifice during the war.

“So many Australians paid the ultimate sacrifice over there, and the French towns that you go through that they took back where the Australians also led the main efforts towards the end of the war, the towns still have the Australian flag up,” he said.

“Everyone focuses a lot on Gallipoli, but potentially, there’s such a huge sacrifice to France, and they all realise our sacrifice, but maybe we don’t appreciate it as much as we probably could.”

Originally published as Corporal Walter Lawrence pays homage to great grandfather during battlefield tour