Rank: Second Lieutenant Regiment: 4th Sqdn., Royal Flying Corps Died: 23/06/1917 Age: 23 Parish: Budleigh Salterton Other Memorial: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery [Google] PDF Download: DAVIS Lawrence Alan
Lawrence was born in Boston, Massachusetts in the USA to Henry Champneys Davis, a silk manufacturer, and Blanche (Counbe). His parents were born in the UK but travelled the world and seem to have been living in Shanghai at the time the war came.
Henry Champney Davis and his wife Blanche came to Budleigh Salterton and were living at Maskee, Golf Road (Links Road) in 1923 and were both buried in St Peter’s Cemetery, Moor Lane, in 1931.
Lawrence served in 4th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, after having won his flying certificate at the Military School at Catterick Bridge, Yorkshire on his 22nd birthday, and was killed in action in June 1917 just a year later.
The Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery in Belgium, where he was buried, records that the RE8 biplane he was piloting, A3473, was forced to land and crashed near an aerodrome, catching fire. It had been on a photo-reconnaissance mission. It is not known what caused the crash. His observer, Second Lieutenant Bernard Tootell, was also killed in the incident and they are buried side-by-side.
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You might be interested in seeing this article about Lawrence's father's mill in the village of Wray in Lancashire, which he left in 1890. It has a photo of him. I had not been able to trace him before I discovered your site. Thank you http://www.archaeologyuk.org/lahs/Contrebis/Vol%2029%20Goth%20Wray.pdf