MACKAWAY, Lawrence Edward David
| Service Number: | 1607 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 May 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 9th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia, 18 May 1892 |
| Home Town: | Toogoolawah, Somerset, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 12 April 1958, aged 65 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. |
| Memorials: | Toogoolawah War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 20 May 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1607, 25th Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jun 1915: | Involvement Private, 1607, 25th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '15' embarkation_place: Brisbane embarkation_ship: HMAT Aeneas embarkation_ship_number: A60 public_note: '' | |
| 29 Jun 1915: | Embarked Private, 1607, 25th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Aeneas, Brisbane | |
| 23 Jul 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 1607, 9th Infantry Battalion, 1st MD |
Help us honour Lawrence Edward David Mackaway's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Private Lawrence Edward David Mackaway (Service No. 1607), an Australian World War One veteran who served our nation at Gallipoli, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now honoured with a plaque recognising their service for Australia.
On 20 September 2025, his plaque was unveiled in Lutwyche Cemetery, along with a further 161 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
Lawrence (also known as “Foley”) Edward David Mackaway was born on 18 May 1892 in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, to David and Kathleen Mackaway (née Davis).
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force at Brisbane, Queensland, on 20 May 1915, aged 23, stating his occupation as farmer and naming his father as next of kin. On 16 August 1915, he embarked for overseas service aboard HMAT Kyarra (A55) from Brisbane with the 9th Battalion. He landed at Gallipoli soon after and served throughout the campaign until the evacuation in December 1915. He was later hospitalised with jaundice in November 1915.
After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, he returned to Egypt with his battalion and later proceeded to France in March 1916 for service on the Western Front. In April 1917, he was wounded in action, sustaining a gunshot wound to the right leg, and was evacuated to England for treatment.
During this period, Lawrence’s brother, Fitter-Corporal William George “Bill” Mackaway of the 11th Field Artillery Brigade, was also seriously wounded and hospitalised in England. A letter from the Base Records Office to their sister in June 1917 confirmed that both brothers were serving abroad.
Their younger brother, Henry Ernest “Mack” Mackaway (Service No. 2284), also served, making the Mackaways one of many Australian families who sent multiple sons to war. All three survived the conflict and returned to Australia.
After recovery, Lawrence rejoined his unit and continued to serve in France and Belgium through 1918. In May 1918, he received a special mention in Routine Orders for “good work performed as a sniper from 8 April to 2 May 1918.” In October 1918, he was again wounded in action, sustaining a gunshot wound to his hand.
Private Mackaway returned to Australia aboard HMAT Kildonian Castle, arriving in May 1919, and was discharged from the AIF in July 1919.
Following his return, he lived in Esk, Queensland, working as a labourer and farmer. On 11 February 1922, he married Florence Bland, and their only child, Lawrence, was born later that year in Toogoolawah, Queensland.
Private Lawrence Edward David Mackaway died on 12 April 1958, aged 65, and was buried two days later in Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. His wife Florence died in 1979, and their son Lawrence died in Brisbane in 1970, aged 48.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget.
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