Source: 116th Excel sheet by Mark Carmichael re. soldiers of 116th that served with the 18th Battalion.
Family Search: When Albert Edward Lawrence was born on 30 August 1887, in Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom, his father, David Andrew Lawrence, was 32 and his mother, Mary Ann Whyett, was 26. He married Jane Buckley on 31 May 1920, in Galt, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He lived in St Giles’ Church, Reading, Berkshire, England, United Kingdom in 1901 and Galt, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in 1921. He registered for military service in 1916. In 1916, at the age of 29, his occupation is listed as moulder in Oshawa, Durham, Ontario, Canada. He died on 27 September 1964, in London, Ontario, Canada, at the age of 77, and was buried in Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Galt resident Albert Edward Lawrence was born at Reading Berkshire, England on 30 August 1887. He attested to the 116th Battalion at Oshawa claiming he was born in 1890, taking 3-years off his age. Regardless, this moulder (or, according to his Medical History Sheet, sawyer) that stood 5’ 6” tall enlisted with the CEF and was prepared to make the necessary sacrifice, if it came to that.
With his pay assigned to his mother, Martha Ann, he set off with the rest of the 116th Battalion on 20 July 1916 from Halifax, Nova Scotia the Battalion arrived at Liverpool, England on the 31st.
By 5 October 1916 he was transferred to the 18th Battalion and arrived at the Canadian Base Depot at Le Harve, France on 6 October 1916 and was “in the field” with the 18th Battalion by the 22nd.
He had a spell of illness starting on or about 6 February 1917 and was shipped to England for treatment and recuperation. By 15 March 1917 he was well enough to be assigned to the 4th Reserve Battalion at Bramshott Camp and after just over 2-months was back in France at Etaples, 2nd Canadian Base Depot on 28 May 1917. Though he was originally assigned now to the 2nd Canadian Entrenching Battalion he was diverted to the Canadian Corps School located at Pernes, France.
He served there until granted a 14-days leave to England effective 14 February 1918 and he returned from leave on 1 March 1918.
He got into a bit of trouble and had to forfeit 3-day’s pay for “When on Active Service, absented himself from billet from 9:00 pm., on 16 March 1918.
By 28 January 1919 he was at a Canadian Concentration Camp at Witley in preparation for returning home from war and sailed aboard the FMT Mauretania on 23 June 1919.
He was demobilized on 6 July 1919 at Toronto, Ontario and indicated his residence after discharge to be General Post Office, South Oshawa, Ontario.
But he had found love and married Jane Buckley (1896-1984) at Galt, Ontario on 31 May 1920.
They lived together until Albert’s death on 27 December 1964 at London, Ontario. He, and later his wife, are buried at Mountview Cemetery, Cambridge, Ontario.
| Reg number | 746039 |
| Name | Lawrence, Albert Edward |
| Rank | Private |
| Year of Birth | 3/4/1905 |
| Date of Death | |
| Cemetery | |
| Cemetery location | |
| Country of birth | England |
| Home Country | Canada |
| City born | Reading, Berkshire, England |
| Address | South Oshawa, ON |
| Enlistment Date | 1/11/1916 |
| Drafted? | |
| Enlistment place | Oshawa |
| Origin Unit | 116th Battalion |
| Pre war Unit | |
| Final Bn | 18th |
| Ship | SS Olympic |
| Date in England | 7/31/1916 |
| Date in France | |
| Date w 116 | 1/11/1916 |
| Left 116th | 10/6/1916 |
| Married | no |
| Occupation | moulder |
| Wounded date | |
| Wound type/Death particuolars | bronchitis |
| KIA | |
| DOW | |
| Died other | |
| Missing/Presumed Dead | |
| Wounded | |
| Sick | yes |
| PTSD | yes |
| Medals | |
| Vimy | |
| Vimy area | |
| Raid | |
| Hill 70 | |
| Pass | |
| Amiens | |
| Parvillers | |
| Boiry | |
| Canal | |
| Other | |
| Unit History | 116th to 18th to 4th Res to Can Corps School |
| Other details | D Coy |
| Field Punishment | |
| FP Details | |
| Gravestone | |
| Underage | |
| Medically Unit | |
| Deserter | |
| Undesirable | |
| Casualty Description |
History of the 18th Battalion CEF, "The Fighting Eighteenth" 