Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Private Richard ‘Dick’ Laws. Dick was the 2nd eldest of 10 kids, his 7 year old younger brother John idolised his big brother. The sporting type Lawsy played in the newly formed Warwick rugby league team and the local Army reserves for 2 years, promoted to Sergeant. Nearly every player on the footy team had charged the beaches at Gallipoli in 1915 and Lawsy wanted to get amongst his mates, signed up to the AIF. He headed for Egypt and then France where he was almost immediately promoted to Sergeant. On his way to join the 9th Battalion he was put in charge of two German prisoners. They ran off on him and he couldn’t bring himself to shoot them in the back, he was charged with negligence of duty and given 2 years imprisonment, later reduced to 6 months. Lawsy, out of military gaol, finally joined his mates in the 9th Battalion. They headed to Belgium and took part in a series of battles in mud so deep that many wounded were lost or drowned in it. Lawsy fought in actions at Menin Road, Glencourse Wood, Polygon Wood, Broondseinde Ridge then on the last day at the last battle at Poelcappel, while helping a Canadian unit, Lawsy took at bullet to the head. Somehow he survived and got himself back to hospital. On a lengthy stay in British hospitals, Lawsy  got stuck into some local debauchery. His hospital stay extended to fix the dreaded VD he picked up. In August 1918 he finally made it back to his mates in the 9th. A week later, Lawsy and the 9th Battalion was in its last major action of the war at Amiens. All Aussie divisions fought as one under Aussie command of the mastermind General Monash, they fought their way with tanks artillery and planes towards Lihons. Then again a few days later they charged the German Army at Chuignes. In that charge Lawsy ran out of luck and was killed. His mates returned after and buried him at Heath Cemetery Harbonnieres. Lawsy was 23 years old when killed in action, fighting for his mates, fighting for his country. His family and now 10 year old brother John all devastated. He is remembered on his family’s grave at Southport and on the Warwick town hall along with 18 of his footy mates all killed in the war. Lest we forget, Rugby league and Anzac legend 4829 Private Dick Laws.

By Project Norden, sources, AWM, NAA, Unit history, Warwick Town Hall archives.