222046 Pte. Lawrence Richards Btitish Army 9th Batallion Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry from:Colwick, Nottingham Lol Richards was born on 19th July 1896 in Awsworth. At eighteen years of age he joined the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry on the 10th September 1914 and fought in World War 1. His regiment number was 14612. Lawrence served in the 9th (Service) Battalion
On the 29th May 1915 he appeared in the Local Newspaper:
"We have the pleasure this week in publishing the photograph of Private Lawrence Richards, son of Mr. T. Richards, who has for over 10 years been the G. N. R. stationmaster at Netherfield, and prior to that held a similar position at Newstead.
Young Richards joined the King’s Own Yorks, Light Infantry last September. He was sent to Pontefract to begin his training and later Berkhampstead, Halton Park, and Maidenhead. At the latter place he was billeted for the winter months, and at the end of March he, along with his regiment, returned to Halton Park Camp where he still remains.
While at Maidenhead a local resident offered three prizes for shooting, the first being £10, the second £7, and the third £5. There were eight teams of men chosen from different battalions to compete, and young Richards had the luck to be in the team which won the second prize, and thus obtained a share of the £7, which was divided.
Private Richards is only 18 years of age, having been born on July 19th, 1896. There is no doubt that he has benefitted in health from the training, and he is looking forward to the time when he will get to the front.
Mr. Richards has another son named Tom Stanley Richards, aged 21 years, who tried to enlist but was refused by the Army authorities because he was employed by G. N. R."
Sadly 14 months later he was badly injured in fighting as reported in the Local Newspaper:
"Several local men have been wounded in the course of the great British onslaught in France, including Private Lawrence Richards, the third son of Mr. T. Richards G.N.R stationmaster at Netherfield. We understand that Private Richards was wounded in the head and leg with shrapnel and is at present in hospital in France. He will be 20 years of age on Wednesday next, and enlisted in the King’s Own Yorks, Light Infantry in September, 1914. He went out to France last September, and took part in the battle of Loos.
Another brother T. S. Richards, has joined the Sherwood Foresters, and is in training at Ripon, while Fred the eldest son has been rejected."
When he travelled back on leave to see his family he would throw his kit back out of the train window as it passed his father’s house near Netherfield station and collect it later; the train didn’t stop until Nottingham, and no doubt it would have been rather a heavy load to carry from Nottingham station. There was once an incident whilst he was serving in France when he and a friend took offence to their Sergeant who had had a go at them, and they ‘smacked him one’. As a result they were both tied to a gun wheel whilst random shots were fired in their direction by the Sergeant.
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