Philip Umfreville Laws

Captain Philip Laws was gazetted as Second Lieutenant on 19th September 1914 into the Sherwood Foresters Regiment, he was promoted to Lieutenant in July 1915, landing in France in March 1916 and was promoted to Captain in March 1917, he was killed in action on 20th September 1917 and is buried Voormezeele Enclosures No 1 and No 2 (grave ref I.J.26). Philip Laws was twice wounded on the Somme. The Nottingham Daily Guardian 25/9/1917 reported 'A fellow officer wrote: "He was up in front holding a concrete dugout with a few men he had managed to collect and was hit in the head... I have never seen any one more gallant."'His Military Cross citation reads:' For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as Forward Observation officer. During the action and the five following days he sent in most valuable information as to the enemy's movements, whereby several counter-attacks were broken up before they could deploy. When the Forward Station Signalling Officer was wounded he also took charge of the signals, and kept up communication with the brigade, remaining at his post after the troops on his right had been forced to fall back. By his coolness, able leadership, and excellent reports he was largely instrumental in making the flank secure and clearing up the situation'.

Probate Registries 1918: Grants of Probate: LAWS Philip Umfreville of 3 East Circus Street, Nottingham, Captain in HM Army died 20 September in France. Administration Nottingham 1 March to William George Laws surgeon. Effects £562 15s 9d.Extract from, 'The Nottingham Eye Hospital', NR Galloway, 2003 (ISBN 0 9545 197 01), pp31-34: 'Dr Laws had been active on the Committee during the war and for example initiated an artificial eye service … in 1917 Dr Laws suffered the sad loss in action of his eldest son and his health seemed to suffer after this … in 1918 consideration had been given to building a 5-10 bed ward on the roof of the hospital and Dr Laws offered to put his son’s estate towards the cost of this.'