Gunner
Sidney Lawton
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About Sidney

  • Name
    Sidney
  • Initials
    S
  • Surname
    Lawton
  • Date of Birth
    5 February 1886
  • Birth town
    Tunstall, Staffordshire
  • Resided town
    Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
  • Commemorated
  • Nationality
    English
  • Place of death
    Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire
  • Date of death
    1965
  • Married
    yes
  • Occupation
    Shoemaker/repairer

Service Information

  • Army

  • Service Number
    38374/201496
  • Rank
    Gunner
  • Regiment
    Machine Gun Corps

Biography

Gunner Sid Lawton was with a group of “Four ‘Tank’ Boys” who were “highly delighted” when they passed through Peterborough East Station and signed the visitors’ book on 22 October 1916.

Sidney Lawton was born on 5 February 1886, in Tunstall, Staffordshire to parents William, a shoemaker and dealer, and Emily.  In 1901 Sidney, aged 15, an apprentice brass finisher, was living at 337 Newcastle Street, Burslem, Wolstanton, Staffordshire with his parents and siblings Frank (22), bread baker, Ernest (21) potter’s placer, Minnie (19) boot dealer’s assistant, William (17) apprentice shoemaker and Emily (13).  By 1911, Sidney’s father had died and it appears that Sidney, aged 25, has taken over the family business of boot maker and dealer and was living at 337 Trubshawe Cross, Longport, Staffordshire with his mother, Emily and his sister Emily (23) boot shop assistant.

On 21 December 1912, Sidney married Annie Longshaw in Burslem, Staffordshire and they lived at 31 Station Street, Longport, Stoke-on-Trent.  They later had two children, Stanley, born in 1915 and Freda, born in 1921.

Sidney attested on 10 December 1915 aged 29 years and 10 months and gave his occupation as boot repairer.  He was posted to the Army Reserve and mobilised on 10 May 1916, joining the Heavy Section Machine Gun Corps as a gunner, and posted to 3rd Battalion A Company on 25 November 1916.  He served with the British Expeditionary Force in France from 24 May 1917.  He transferred to the Tank Corps on its formation from the Heavy Branch Machine Gun Corps on 27 July 1917 and served with the 7th Tank Battalion.  His service record indicates that he worked some of the time as the battalion shoemaker. He was posted back to the England on 5 February 1919, and demobilised on 6 March 1919.  His address was given as May House, 15 Longport Road, Longport, Staffordshire.  He was awarded the British War and Allied Victory Medals.

For more about the Tank Corps please follow this link http://www.1914-1918.net/tanks.htm

In 1939, Sidney and Annie were living with their two children at 8 Adams Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.  Sidney was a motor driver.  Sidney died in Stoke-on-Trent district in 1965, aged 79 years.

Could you be related to Sidney Lawton?  Please get in touch if you can tell us more.

 

 

 

Campaign Medals

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