Private Frederick Lawson

Frederick ‘Mick’ Lawson, a native of Hull, Yorkshire, and attested for the 26th East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry (Territorial Army), an Armoured Car Squadron of the Royal Tank Regiment, on 15 September 1937. He became a Regular Soldier at the outbreak of the Second World War, and trained on light tanks, later serving with the 2nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps. 

In November 1943, he volunteered for the Airborne Forces, and trained as a Parachutist at Ringway, completing course no. 94 on 20 December 1943. Posted to the 11th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, he transferred to the 9th Battalion, as part of the 6th Airborne Division, on 2 March 1944, and served with them in North-West Europe post D-Day. He was killed in a battlefield accident on 19 February 1945 - tragically, on the day that his Battalion was due to vacate the frontline and return to England, he was shot and fatally wounded by one of his own sentries whilst returning from a patrol. (Info from auction of medals).

ALSO

13 Pl (AF List). Normandy & Ardennes. E-mail from nephew (David Pearcy) states that he belonged to 8 Pl and was killed when accidentally shot by one the Battalion’s own sentries. Also, his Service file states that he joined the Bn on 2 March 1944, and that he served in NW Europe from 7 August 1944 to 6 September 1944, then 26 December 1944 to his death. Therefore a reinforcement in Normandy.

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