graves

 

 

 

IN MEMORy by Pierre Vandervelden

The visit of Commonwealth graves in Communals Cemeteries & Churchyards in Belgium & France

pierre.vandervelden@pi.be

RECQUES SUR HEM Churchyard (Pas de Calais France)

C. J. Rump - A. J. Lawson - W. Johnson
Photo Courtesy Jean-Claude Graux (Fr)
Albert Jean Lawson aged 24
Here in Trafalgar Square on his way to Belgium just before the war in 1939.
His stepfather was a New Zealand citizen, who was in Europe for WW1.
He was in Australia at the time war broke out and joined the Australian Army.
He met Albert's mother, in Belgium and married her.
She already had a son, Albert.
It is said in the family that Albert was travelling to Belgium to study violin at University there.
In that time, Albert was just a citizen in Belgium when the Germans invaded and he fought with the partisan forces against the Germans.
When the Allies pushed forward the pair connected with them, and as the Allies retreated to Dunkirk they were bringing up the rear.
The morning of their death Albert and his pommy friend stopped in to a cafe.
The cafe owner told them that the Germans knew of their presence and were looking for them.
She offered to shelter them, but they refused, because if they were found the cafe owner would be punished.
The two men were ambushed at a crossroads as they left town, gunned down by a German armoured vehicle.
The pommy bloke was given a British war grave, but because Albert was a Belgian national he was not recognised.
After some letter writing from my father, Norman Kirk, the New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, ensured that Albert had a New Zealand war grave.
for his nephew Hector Lawson

3 casualties

JOHNSON WILLIAM
United Kingdom Gunner Royal Artillery 3 bty. 6 H.A.A. Regt. Age: 31 Date of Death: between 18/05/1940 and 22/05/1940 Service No: 1071399

LAWSON ALBERT JEAN
New Zealand Civilian New Zealand Civilian Age: 24 Date of Death: 23/05/1940

RUMP CHARLES JOHN
United Kingdom Private The King's (Liverpool Regiment) "C" Coy 20th Bn. Age: 37 Date of Death: 12/07/1917 Service No: 235326

IF You have a casualty picture, please send me a copy, I'll be glad to show it on this page.

IF You want a king size copy of this picture (300/900 ko - 2592/1944 pixels) please e-mail me.

IF You want picture of a particular grave, in this cemetery, please e-mail me.

Casualties informations come usualy from Commonwealth War Graves Commission, see links for more informations

Inmemories.com © Pierre Vandervelden - Belgium