Joseph William Lawson

Private Joe William Lawson, enlisted on 7th September 1914 at Mansfield and served with the R.M.L.I., Portsmouth Battalion, Royal Naval Division, he was killed in action on 13th July 1915. He is commemorated on the Helles Memorial.

Enlisted 16/09/1914.

Lawson was one of 'Kitchener's Marines' who were transferred from the Sherwood Foresters to the RMLI. Des Turner notes '600 RMLI transfers came from 2 regiments - 200 from the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) and 400 from the Sherwood Foresters. They were predominantly ex-miners and labourers, fit men wanted for their ability to dig trenches and tunnels. The 200 KOYLI recruits were transferred to Plymouth Division RMLI and were given service numbers PLY/1(S) to PLY200(S). This was also the case for the Sherwood Foresters 200 who were dispatched to Portsmouth where already 30 men were recruited and so they became PO/31(S) to PO/230(S). 200 remaining Foresters went to Chatham and were numbered CH/1 to CH/200(S).'

Article published 17th March 1916 in the Mansfield Reporter and Sutton Times :-

“KILLED AT THE DARDANELLES.

“Pte. Joseph Wm. Lawson, 131, S. Royal Marines, L.I., was killed in action on July 13th, 1915, at the Dardanelles. He was aged 20, and was the son of Mrs. Lawson, 20, Broomhill-lane. The deceased, who before the war worked at the Sherwood Colliery, was killed four months after his father [1] met his death at the Welbeck Colliery.”

[1] John William Lawson, a pit sinker at Welbeck Colliery, died on 20th March as the result of injuries received following a fall of roof on 27th February 1915.

The above article and additional information is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918