Lawrence Weathers

Temporary Corporal Lawrence Carthage Weathers was awarded the Victoria Cross for his courage and determination. On 2 September 1918, he helped capture 3 machine guns and 180 German prisoners near Péronne in northern France. Tragically, Lawrence never learned of this honour. He was injured in battle on 29 September 1918 and died from his wounds that day. The Armistice was signed 6 weeks later, on 18 November 1918, which ended fighting in World War I.

Early life

Lawrence Weathers was born on 14 May 1890 at Te Kōpuru near Dargaville on New Zealand's North Island. His father, John Joseph Weathers, was a farm labourer from Mintaro in South Australia. His mother, Ellen Frances McCormack, was from Adelaide. Lawrence's family migrated to New Zealand, where they lived for several years. When his father passed away in the late 1890s, the family returned to South Australia. Lawrence and his siblings were raised in the home of their uncle, Michael McCormack of 'Hillside', Percyton.

Lawrence had 3 brothers (one of whom died as a baby) and 3 sisters. He attended Percyton School (now Barunga Gap) about 12 km south-west of Snowtown.

When he finished school, Lawrence worked as a horse handler, a coachman and an undertaker. Lawrence was known to be a humble person. He was happier to be in the background than in the spotlight. His close friends held him in high esteem.

In 1909, Lawrence and his 2 brothers, Thomas and Joseph, travelled on business to Europe and the United States. When Lawrence arrived back in Adelaide, he had been away for 2 years.

In 1913, Lawrence married Annie Elizabeth Watson, a Melbourne-born housekeeper. They married at her father's home in Unley, Adelaide. Lawrence and Annie lived at 'Te Kopuru', Parkside, and had 2 sons, Kenneth Lawrence Weathers and John Thomas Weathers. In Adelaide, Lawrence worked as a foreman undertaker until he joined the Army.

Military service

Enlistment

On 8 February 1916, Lawrence enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) for service overseas. He was assigned to the 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion. On 9 June 1916, he embarked in Adelaide on HMAT Afric, bound for England.

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Service on the Western Front

Lawrence arrived in France in November 1916. He spent many months in hospital with an illness and rejoined his unit in April 1917.

During heavy fighting at Messines, Belgium, Lawrence was wounded for the first time. On 10 June 1917, he suffered a compound fracture of his left leg from a severe gunshot wound. He was evacuated to a military hospital in England for treatment. He spent several months recovering in hospital. Then he returned to France and rejoined his battalion in the field.

Lawrence was promoted to Lance Corporal in March 1918.

Gas attack at Bois L'Abbe

Trench warfare made the war even more difficult for Lawrence and his mates. Like most infantry on the Western Front, Lawrence spent long periods living in the trenches. He was under constant bombardment from artillery, threatened by snipers and subjected to gas attacks.

Mustard gas was a common weapon in World War I. Men who were gassed suffered terrible pain and injuries, including second and third-degree burns to their skin and airways, blindness and damage to their digestive system.

For the men of the 43rd Battalion, gassing was particularly bad on the nights of 25 and 26 May 1918. On 26 May at Bois L'Abbe near Villers-Bretonneux, Lawrence was gassed by the Germans. He was taken to a casualty clearing station (a small clinic behind the front). After a few weeks of recovery, he returned to duty with his battalion in June 1918.

Battle of Mont St Quentin

In August 1918, the 43rd Battalion was involved in a major offensive near Amiens. They aimed to drive deep into German-held territory. Throughout August, Lawrence and the rest of his battalion pressed forward. Sometimes they occupied old trenches. Enemy artillery continuously shelled their location even when the men weren't fighting.

The Allied forces launched a major push through the German-occupied area in late August and early September. Many German artillery guns and prisoners were captured. German forces maintained strong defensive positions and continued to harass Allied forces with heavy machine-gun fire.

Early on the morning of 2 September, the 43rd Battalion were sent to a small area north of Péronne. The land was criss-crossed with barbed wire entanglements and many trenches. Their main goal was to clear Scutari Trench, a well-fortified trench held by a German garrison.

Lawrence went forward with his comrades over trenches, barbed wire and open ground. They had no artillery fire to cover their advance to Scutari Trench. They came under penetrating machine-gun fire. Lawrence was right at the front of the advance. He attacked the enemy garrison and killed its leader.

After replenishing their supply of bombs, Lawrence and 3 others went back into action. A fellow soldier provided cover fire from a Lewis gun. Lawrence did not seem to notice the danger that he was facing as he leapt onto a parapet and threw bombs into the trench below. He took 3 machine guns and 180 prisoners back to his battalion's lines. He returned in a terrible state. Unshaven and covered in mud with blood streaming down his face. Chattering about putting fear into the enemy, likely due to stress and nervous energy.

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Lawrence was promoted to Corporal on 10 September 1918.

In the weeks following this action, Lawrence was again involved in the 43rd Battalion's advance. Their goal was to maintain contact with the rear guard of the retreating German forces. It was the unit's first involvement in open warfare, which was different from the trench warfare Lawrence usually experienced. The Australian Corps followed them to the Hindenburg-Outpost Line.

When there were breaks in the fighting, the soldiers could get involved in organised activities away from the front. Recreation included football matches, cricket practice and athletics. In the evenings, there were some concerts to entertain the weary soldiers. These activities offered some relief and were very welcome.

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Final action on the Hindenburg Line

On 29 September 1918, the 43rd Battalion attacked German positions on the Hindenberg Outpost-Line near Quenemont Farm, north of Malakoff Wood. Reporting the action at Ronssoy, official war historian Charles Bean wrote: 'a machine-gun barrage kicked up the earth around them'.

Lawrence was hit by enemy shelling between Ronssoy and Bony. He died from his wounds that day, leaving behind a widow and 2 young sons.

Lawrence was buried in a makeshift grave at the side of a road as the 43rd Battalion continued its advance. He was later reburied at Unicorn Cemetery, Vendhuile.

Newspaper reports said that Lawrence's wife Annie and his family had been looking forward to his joyous homecoming. They were shocked to hear of Lawrence's death on the eve of his planned departure to England for some much-needed leave.

Victoria Cross

At the time of his death, Lawrence did not know that he had been nominated for the Victoria Cross for his courageous actions of 2 September 1918. He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, which was gazetted on 24 December 1918.

HIS MAJESTY THE KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the award of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned non-commissioned officer:-

No. 1153 Lance-Corporal (temporary Corporal)

LAWRENCE CARTHAGE WEATHERS

For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty on the 2nd September, 1918, north of Peronne, when with an advanced bombing party. The attack having been held up by a strongly held enemy trench, Cpl. Weathers went forward alone under heavy fire and attacked the enemy with bombs. Then, returning to our lines for a further supply of bombs, he again went forward with three comrades, and attacked under very heavy fire. Regardless of personal danger, he mounted the enemy parapet and bombed the trench, and, with the support of his comrades, captured 180 prisoners and three machine guns. His valour and determination resulted in the successful capture of the final goal and saved the lives of many of his comrades.

[Supplement to The London Gazette of 24 December 1918, 26 December 1918, No 31082, p 15118]

Lawrence's actions on 2 September were important because they allowed his battalion to achieve its goal despite the enemy's strong resistance. His actions also saved the lives of many of his comrades.

General William Birdwood presented Lawrence's VC to his widow, Annie, at a ceremony at the Adelaide Town Hall on 6 March 1920.

The medal remained in the Weathers family until 2016. In April 2016, it was sold at auction in Sydney to an undisclosed buyer for $500,000. In October 2016, the buyer donated Lawrence's VC to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where it's on display.

Family who also served

Lawrence's brother, Private Thomas Francis Weathers, enlisted in the AIF on 11 September 1914, just after the war started. He died at Gallipoli from a shrapnel wound on 15 June 1915.

Another brother, Private Joseph James Augustine Weathers, enlisted in the AIF on 13 June 1916, a week after Lawrence enlisted. At his own request, Joseph was discharged from the AIF on 15 November 1916, before his troopship left Australia.

Commemoration

After the war, the 43rd Battalion Club established a fund for a memorial in Lawrence's memory. The club proposed to build a memorial on North Terrace, Adelaide. Annie Weathers disagreed, saying that Lawrence would not have wanted it. Instead, the money was used to commission a memorial portrait of Lawrence and purchase new cots for the Children's Hospital. The painting by Mabel 'May' Grigg was unveiled at the club's annual general meeting in 1927. It hung in the Adelaide RSL for many years and is now in the Army Museum of South Australia.

Lawrence's name is displayed on panel 137 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial. His name also appears on the Roll of Honour for the Northern Wairoa District at the Dargaville War Memorial in New Zealand.