Lawrence Alfred Barrow

Rank: Private

Regiment: 5th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment

Father: Rev Alfred Henry & Mrs Emily Mary Barrow

Address: Hastings

Other Info: Father was Rector of All Saints Church, in the Old Town. According to CWDG, Lawrence was killed on 31st August 1916 aged 21. At the time he was Second Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment. He is remembered at Engelbelmer Communal Cemetery, grave reference D.3.

An article published in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer on 9th September 1916 reads: “Second Lieutenant Laurence Alfred Howard Barrow, Royal Sussex Regiment, who was killed on September 1st, aged 21, was the youngest son of the Rev. A. H. Barrow, Rector of All Saints’, Hastings. He was educated at All Saints, Bloxham (Woodward School), with a view to Holy Orders, when on the outbreak of war, he enlisted as a private in the 5th Royal Sussex Regiment. In six months time he received his commission, passing through the O.T.C. at Oxford. Before going to the Front he took part in the suppression of the Irish disturbance.

In a letter to his father dated August 9th, the late lieut. made the following interesting statement: – ‘Last night at a certain crater where we are, only a few yards away from Fritz, we had a truce for an hour and a half. Suddenly, our boys heard Fritz siging ‘Rule Britannia’ so we carefully looked over the top and found heaps of them looking over (head and shoulders), and our chaps got into a long conversation with them. One said ‘Cheer-oh, the Sussex. I used to work in the soap works at Bexhill’.They said ‘we might win the war, but we should only have one boat load to take us back’. One of our Tommies asked one to have a Woodbine, and Fritz said ‘Haven’t you anything better?’. They wanted one or two of our boys to go over to breakfast, and promised to see them back safely. Needless to say they were the Saxons opposite us. They are always the same, and can really be trusted. Then one of their officers came along, but they shouted at us first. ‘Put your heads down boys, we must get on with it now’, and both sides fired high on purpose. It was a scream”.

Published: November 1914

Please use the comments box below if you can provide more information about this person.