John lived and grew up in Woolstone, near Uffington and the famous White Horse Hill (Note: Uffington sometimes mis-spelt as Hoffington in service record). Before the war he worked on a local farm as a groom. He didn’t talk about the war but a family member found a little bit of information in the house which has led to the family obtaining his war record. John’s war record (Service no. 27645) shows that he initially joined the Hussars (Cavalry) and was posted to 2nd Worcesters. When he got to the field he was then posted to the 4th Worcesters. It appears that he suffered a wound to his chin and was posted sick to the field ambulance on 22nd January 1917 but re-joined his battalion four days later on 26th January 1917. He was transferred to the 19th Hussars under Army Order on 20th March 1917 and remained with them until April 1917 when he was transferred again to the Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry), possibly transporting machine guns behind the lines and acting as an infantryman when at the front. John was with 9th Machine Gun squadron in May 1917 and in August 1917 was posted to Machine Gun Infantry (away from horses) then posted back to the cavalry again in August 1917. The record shows that he had a period of leave in 1919 but that in March 1919 was admitted to a field ambulance again. He was home from June 1915 to December 1916. From December 1916 until 25th April 1919 he was at British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in France. John was demobilised in Fovant on the Salisbury Plain in April 1919. John survived the war and returned home to Woolstone. The family think he took up his previous occupation as a groom.
2 photographs of John Lawrence with fellow soldiers and a census record showing his occupation as a groom in 1911.