Richard William Laws:Graves and memorials

More of the R W Laws story  kindly written by Helen Butler

GRAVES  and  MEMORIALS

Private Richard William Laws was buried near where he was killed, as with all battle casualties. The grave was marked with a simple wooden cross with his name, number, unit, and date of death painted on. And there his body lay for some years. Much later there was a huge programme to find all these scattered graves and rebury the soldiers in a central War Cemetery for each area. Before the removal, the position of the original grave was first carefully recorded, and we now know Dick Laws' first grave was sited 2,000 yards NNE of Proyart, and 3,000 yards due East of Merincourt-sur-Somme.

Photo sent to family to show the grave

Google earth of countryside now where Dick walked, hid, &fought in his last few days, was KIA & buried

Wider view to include his final grave place.

1930

1930

Dick's grave was relocated  to Harbonnieres, a village nearby, in Heath Cemetery, so called from the wide expanse of open country where it stands. There are 1860 Commonwealth servicemen buried or commemorated here. Their uniform white tombstones stand in perfect rank and file, all meticulously kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Next of kin were kept informed of the burials with a photo and information, including directions for travelling there. Several of the Laws family have over the years visited Dick's grave, the first being his younger brother Fred Laws on 19 January 1930. Fred was in England as one of the 1929 Australian Rugby League Football Team. After the games were finished there was a little free time before they boarded the boat for home. So he bought a wreath in London and he and Mick Madsen, a team mate, went over to France to Dick's grave. The grave is there the same today, honouring his sacrifice and awaiting pilgrims.

2016 as it is now.( Photo courtesy R P Laws)

Probably 1933

2016( courtesy R P Laws.)

Australian War Memorial ( Photo courtesy A C Stevens)

 “Laws  R W” is commemorated on the war memorials in Allora and in Warwick, and in St Marks Church in Warwick.  Also of course his name is cast in metal on the Honour Roll on the walls of the War Memorial in Canberra, where later generations can place a poppy, to remember the Uncle they never knew.

St Mark's Church, Warwick ( photo S Nalder)

Addendum by Judy Lofthouse.In the St Marks Church Warwick the memorial organ was finished in 1923 and the marble tablets either side of the organ have the men who enlisted  and the ones who died are listed as "In sacred sleep" R W Laws is not listed as being In Sacred Sleep. Perhaps seeing as the family had moved to Allora by then there was no one to inform them. I have notified the church as they are proposing to shift the tablets from beside the organ(in the choir loft) to the Warriors Chapel where they can take pride of place.