Lawley C. Sergt. S. Lancs. Regt.

Charles Lawley was born at Kingsbury, Warwickshire, in 1888. He was the son of John Lawley, a labourer who had been born in Burwarton, Shropshire, and his wife, Mary Ann. John worked at a chemical works in Kingsbury before the family moved to Nurton, Pattingham (1901) and Danford, Claverley (1911). By 1911 Charles was living at Eyton, nr. Wellington, where he worked as a farm labourer.

Charles enlisted on 15th September, 1914 at Wellington. He was posted to the 7th Battalion King's Shropshire Light Infantry. It was almost a year before he was sent to France, by which time he had been promoted to the rank of sergeant.

The 7th KSLI spent the winter of 1915/16 in the Ypres Salient, generally spending seven days in the trenches followed by seven days 'rest'. The trenches were in a bad condition and the weather was wet. Trench foot was a constant problem and one which caused Charles to be sent home for treatment in March 1916. After ten days in a military hospital in Oxford he 'could wear his boots' and was sent to the Depot Battalion and then the 9th (Reserve) Battalion to convalesce. Charles was transferred to the 7th Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment just before he returned to France in September 1916.

After serving at the front for a further ten months, Charles died of wounds on 25th July, 1917. He was buried in Locre Hospice Cemetery - so he probably died in one of the field ambulances based there shortly after being wounded in the trenches.

Sergeant Lawley, 31694 South Lancs. Regiment (formerly 14190 KSLI) was awarded the Victory and British Medals and the 1915 Star.