Family Information
Son of John Menzies (late Parish Councillor) and Annie Menzies. Lawrence had 4 older brothers. Lawrence's brother-in-law Private Thomas Stewart of the Scots Guards was also Killed in Action on the 27/10/1915. His father John's half brother Private James Fleming also fell. From the 1901 Census - Address - 12 Coltswood Road, Coatbridge - John Menzies aged 45, Annie K Menzies aged 45, Barbara K Menzies aged 23, Isabella R Menzies aged 21, James K Menzies aged 19, Sarah Menzies aged 17, William Menzies aged 14, Robert Menzies aged 13, Annie Menzies aged 10, Alexander Menzies aged 8, Laurence Menzies aged 6. Lawrence's Pension was awarded to his mother on the 11/09/1916 but went to his brother Alex when his mother Annie passed away.
Additional Information
Lawrence and the Battalion arrived at Boulogne on the 12/05/1915 and were part of the 28th Brigade, 9th (Scottish) Division. On the 14/05/1916 they transferred to the 46th Brigade, 15th (Scottish) Division and amalgamated with 11th (Service) Battalion to form the 10/11th Battalion. Lawrence was Killed in Action on the opening day of the Battle of Loos. Many other men listed on the Memorial also fell here on the same day. He was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos, 25th September to the 15th October 1915 : The first genuinely large scale British offensive action but once again only in a supporting role to a larger French attack in the Third Battle of Artois. British appeals that the ground over which they were being called upon to advance was wholly unsuitable were rejected. The battle is historically noteworthy for the first British use of poison gas. The opening day of The Battle of Loos : Zero hour was fixed for 05.50 a.m. On the left of the Division were the 10th Highland Light Infantry and the 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers were on the right. At 06.30 they advanced in 3 lines against the German trenches. The 10th Highland Light Infantry : As the wind was too weak to carry the gas forward from the trenches many of the men were suffering from the effects of it when they left the front line. At the very start the ranks of the Battalion were thinned by a storm of shell, rifle and machine-gun fire, a considerable amount being killed or wounded. The men pushed on but we unable to penetrate the enemy's wire. Before vicious machine-gun fire from Madagascar Trench, Railway Work and Mad Point the attack melted away and most of the survivors struggled back to the trenches none of whom had broken through the German wire. SEE PHOTOS x 6 FOR THE 10th (SERVICE) BATTALION WAR DIARY ON THE 25/09/1915. THE BATTALION CASUALTIES ON THE 25/09/1915 (NON COMMISSIONED OFFICERS + MEN) - "A" COMPANY : 29 KILLED, 66 MISSING, 45 WOUNDED, 22 GASSED (TOTAL = 162), "B" COMPANY : 66 KILLED, 70 MISSING, 33 WOUNDED, 6 GASSED (TOTAL = 175), "C" COMPANY : 28 KILLED, 46 MISSING, 46 WOUNDED, 7 GASSED (TOTAL = 127), "D" COMPANY : 37 KILLED, 17 MISSING, 50 WOUNDED, 9 GASSED (TOTAL = 113). TOTAL : 160 KILLED, 199 MISSING, 174 WOUNDED, 49 GASSED = 577. OFFICERS - HQ : 1 KILLED, 1 WOUNDED, 1 GASSED, "A" COMPANY : 4 KILLED, "B" COMPANY : 3 KILLED, "C" COMPANY : 2 WOUNDED, "D" COMPANY : 1 KILLED, 2 WOUNDED. TOTAL : 9 KILLED, 5 WOUNDED, 1 GASSED = 15. Scottish Regiments lost a huge amount of brave men at Loos. Here is a list of Infantry Battalions who lost more than 500 men at the Battle of Loos from 25/09/1915 to 16/10/1915 - 7th Cameron Highlanders 687, of which 19 Officers, 9th Black Watch 680, of which 20 Officers, 6th King's Own Scottish Borderers 650, of which 20 Officers, 10TH HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY 648, of which 20 Officers, 7th King's Own Scottish Borderers 631, of which 20 Officers, 8th Devons 619, of which 19 Officers, 8th Royal West Kents 580, of which 24 Officers, 8th Buffs 558, of which 24 Officers, 12th Highland Light Infantry 553, of which 23 Officers, 8th Black Watch 511, of which 19 Officers, 5th North Staffordshire 505, of which 20 Officers, 8th Seaforth Highlanders 502, of which 23 Officers. The Battalion history states - "the 10th Highland Light Infantry suffered from our own gas before the attack, at the very start the ranks of the Battalion were thinned by a storm of shell, rifle and machine-gun fire, a considerable number being killed on the parapet". His name is listed as LAURENCE on the 1901 Census and by the CWGC but is LAWRENCE in the Newspaper clippings and Pension Records. He is also remembered on the Stewarts and Lloyds Roll of Honour (see photos). See photos for Lawrence's Medal Index Card, his Newspaper clippings x 2, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration, his name on the Loos Memorial Panel List, his name on the Loos Memorial, Lawrence's Pension Records x 4 and the Highland Light Infantry Cap Badge. F
