Profile

WILLIAMS, Laurence Edward
(Service number 7/147)

Laurence Edward (Mike) Williams — (Courtesy of J Williams. South Canterbury Museum L2014/017.06)

Service medals, Laurence Edward (Mike) Williams — The medals include (from left to right) the 1914 Star, British War Medal (1914-20), Victory Medal (1914-19), and the (unofficial) Gallipoli Star. (Courtesy of J Williams. South Canterbury Museum L2014/017.07)

Gallipoli Commemorative Medallion — For Laurence Edward (Mike) Williams. (Courtesy of J Williams. South Canterbury Museum L2014/017.08)

Galliploi Commemorative Medallion — Edge stamped for Laurence Edward (Mike) Williams (Courtesy of J Williams. South Canterbury Museum L2014/017.08)

Aliases	Mike
First Rank	Trooper	Last Rank	Trooper

Birth

Date	Unknown	Place of Birth

Enlistment Information

Date		Age
Address at Enlistment	P. O. Box 8, Saint Andrews
Occupation
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status	Single
Next of Kin	A. C. WILLIAMS, Saint Andrews, South Canterbury
Religion
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with	NZ Armed Forces	Served in	Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation	Main Body
Unit, Squadron, or Ship	Canterbury Mounted Rifles
Date	16 October 1914
Transport	Tahiti or Athenic
Embarked From	Lyttelton, Canterbury	Destination	Suez, Egypt

Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With	Canterbury Mounted Rifles

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals	1914 Star, British War Medal (1914-20), Victory Medal (1914-19), and the Gallipoli Star
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

Prisoner of War Information

Date of Capture
Where Captured and by Whom
Actions Prior to Capture
PoW Serial Number
PoW Camps
Days Interned
Liberation Date

Discharge

Date		Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date	22 August 1965	Age	82 yrs
Place of Death
Cause
Notices	Timaru Herald, 24 August 1965
Memorial or Cemetery	Woodbury Cemetery
Memorial Reference	Block 3, Plot 49
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Son of Arthur Cuthbert & Jane Pauline Harriet (nee LEE) WILLIAMS. Educated at Christ's College, Christchurch. Brothers Cuthbert Leslie WILLIAMS & Reginald Bealey WILLIAMS also served in WWI. Laurence departed with the Mounted Men by the slow train from Timaru on 17 August 1914, amidst much excitement in the town, whilst their horses were trucked at the Smithfield siding, Waimataitai. The Mayor spoke of the pride in them and said that they were going forward with stout hearts and strong arms. "Be true lads to your King and Empire, to yourselves and your country, and put your trust in God," he said. Returned aboard transport No. 204 to Port Chalmers, about 11 January 1919. Married Janet Mary ROGERS in 1920. RSA honours at funeral.

Sources

Cenotaph Database [08 March 2014]; Woodbury Cemetery transcripts [March 2014]; Timaru Herald, 18 August 1914, 8 January 1919, Otago Daily Times, 7 January 1919 (Papers Past) [20 March 2014; 30 August 2014]; Timaru Herald, 24 August 1965 (Timaru District Library) [March 2014]

External Links

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