Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Laurence was born in Adelaide on the 16th October 1914. His siblings included an older sister, Lina Melva and brother, Garth Victor and a younger brother Gilbert Maxwell (Mick). Their childhood was challenging as their mother, Ada was unmarried and struggled to provide for the youngsters. Just four months before Laurence’s birth, the State Children's Department Nurse Inspectress visited Ada’s home, concluding that one year old Garth and three-and-a-half-year-old Lina were neglected children. The Gawler Magistrate’s Court committed the two to the Industrial School at Edwardstown.
Times continued to be challenging for Ada, with the children very quickly becoming ‘street wise’ and familiar with the law. Garth eventually returned to live with his siblings but as an eighteen-year-old was the first to push boundaries, being caught stealing a bike and having an unregistered rifle, which was confiscated. Laurence attended the Brompton Primary School (now Bowden Brompton), then gained work as a labourer working with a local truck driver, George Baltrop. As a twenty-year-old in ’35 he was fortunate to avoid serious injury when a speeding car travelling towards the truck on which he was perched, hit, causing the truck to swerve and collide with a horse and buggy. Those occupants were thrown to the roadway when the buggy hit a pughole wall and the frightened horse bolted. Laurence was fortunate to escape uninjured. Two years later, however, his hard-earned wages went towards a fine of £2 with £1 costs for the use of indecent language at Hindmarsh.
With the outbreak of war, the three brothers all enlisted. 20-year-old Mick was the first to enlist on the 21st June ’40 as SX6639 in the 2/48th Battalion. 25-year-old Laurence enlisted days later on the 25th June as SX7766 and was also placed in the 2/48th Battalion. 28-year-old Garth, working as a Dairy Manager enlisted on the 17th December ’42 as SX27887, serving in the Northern Territory. In comparison to Mick and Laurence, Garth’s record of service was unblemished.
The brothers left on the Stratheden on the 7th November, arriving in the Middle East on the 17th December. From that time, their behaviour mirrored each other whist they struggled with the discipline and conditions of war. Both certainly ‘marched to the beat of their own drum’. Laurence was confined to barracks for ten days for being absent without leave for three days. This was to be the first of many behavioural challenges of being absent without leave and accumulating fines and being confined to barracks, in one instance for ten days.
Laurence’s young brother, Mick was injured in July ’42. This was followed in August by Laurence going AWL resulting in a Court of Inquiry, held at Shamman Halt. His rifle, equipment and clothing were all missing, and despite a search of his Kit Bag and Sea Kit Bag the items could not be found, nor could Laurence. Soon after, his younger brother Mick faced parallel charges for losing his rifle and faced a Court Martial, charged with desertion, a charge that Laurence was also soon to face. Mick’s charge was downgraded to being AWL, he was held in detention for 60 days, plus forfeiting a reduced 105 days’ pay.
Early January ’43 Laurence faced similar charges of desertion over August, September and the first fortnight of October. He also was found not guilty of that charge but of being AWL. He was to be held in detention for nine months and to forfeit 75 days’ pay. Laurence’s additional self-inflicted punishment was to also contract a social disease.
He returned to Australia via Freemantle, then, under escort, returned to Adelaide where he was held in detention for three months, eventually joining the 25th Employment Company. However, his illegal absences continued, as did his fines. In the early weeks of September ’43 Laurence left Parade early and selected three days ‘holiday’ with the inevitable fine. However, he avoided going to New Guinea as Mick had.
Back in South Australia, Laurence was allocated to the 29 Works Company from June ’44. By November ’45 not unexpectedly, Laurence was again pushing the boundaries of attendance, fined heavily and confined to barracks for a week before returning to the 29th Works Company in the lead up to his discharge on the 25th January ’46. He was the last of the brothers to be discharged with Mick being in September and Garth in December’45.
The extended family were involved in an horrific accident in February ’49 at the intersection of Grote Street and West Terrace. They had been returning from picnicking in the Belair National Park when a Thebarton fire truck, racing to a house fire (caused by a cigarette butt) collided with the passenger bus in which the family was travelling. In all there was one fatality and seventeen injuries, including Laurence and his mother, Ada. Mick was treated in the Royal Adelaide Hospital for a lacerated scalp. His baby daughter, Barbara was treated for a lump on her head and his young son Graham treated for abrasions. They were rescued from under the upturned bus, clinging to their mother, Margaret. The accident was called the worst vehicular accident for years, with appliances on standby to prevent the overturned bus bursting into flames.
61-year-old Laurence died in 1975 and now rests in the Derrick Gardens at Centennial Park Cemetery, Path 25, Grave 219B.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.