One of 5 sons of Rev. Wilson and his wife Fanny. London Historians: "... the Wilsons’ fourth son, Lt. Laurence Wilson, was killed near Armentieres aged 30 ..."
Andrew Behan has kindly researched this man, using information from Charterhouse and from ICE Virtual Library: Second Lieutenant Laurence Trench Wilson was born on 5 January 1885 in Chiswick, the 4th son of the Reverend Alfred Wilson, M.A., Vicar of Bedford Park, Chiswick, and his wife Fanny Wilson née Cobbe. He was baptised by his father on 8 February 1885 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Bedford Park, Chiswick. The 1901 census shows him as a student at Charterhouse School, Godalming, Surrey, where he obtained a Chadwick Scholarship to University College London and later became an engineer.
He was first employed by the contractors of the central London railway extensions and the new London low level sewer. He later joined the staff of the London Electric Railways Company and was engaged on extensions and other work. On 10 January 1911 he was elected an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Engineers and the census of that year showed him living with his widowed mother and elder brother, Alan Campbell Wilson, at 4 Sheffield Terrace, Kensington. Before receiving his commission he had been the Resident Engineer for 'Sir Alexander Binnie, Son and Deacon' on the Barnston reservoir and the adjacent section of the Alwen aqueduct.
The London Gazette shows that he was appointed as a temporary Second Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery on 10 December 1914. He entered France in May 1915 and was attached to the 171st Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers. On 9 August 1915 he was mortally wounded whilst endeavouring, under heavy fire, to prevent plans falling into the enemy's hands, an action which received the well merited praise of his commanding officer and died later that day aged 30 years. He is buried in Grave IX.B.5. at the Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentierers, France. Probate was granted and his estate totalled £8,509-2s-6d. He was posthumously awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
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