Medals to The Gordon Highlanders and Associated Units from the Collection of A.J. Henderson

A fine Boer War D.C.M. group of six awarded to Warrant Officer Class 2 P. Lawrence, The Gordon Highlanders

Distinguished Conduct Medal, E.VII.R. (3315 Clr.-Serjt. P. Lawrence, Gordon Highrs.); Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg, Belfast (3315 Sgt., Gordon Highrs.); King’s South Africa 1901-02, 2 clasps, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (3315 Cr.-Serjt., Gordon Highrs.); 1914-15 Star (S-1738 C.S. Mjr., Gord. Highrs.); British War and Victory Medals (S-1738 W.O. Cl. 2, Gordons) the earlier awards with contact marks and polished, otherwise about very fine, the remainder rather better (6) £1000-1200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals to The Gordon Highlanders and Associated Units from the Collection of A.J. Henderson.

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D.C.M. London Gazette 31 October 1902.

Peter Lawrence was born in 1873 in the Parish of King Edward, near Banff and enlisted in the Gordon Highlanders in December 1889. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he gained rapid promotion, being advanced to Corporal in March 1891, to Lance-Sergeant in June 1894 and to Sergeant in August of the latter year. Then on completion of his seven year engagement in December 1896, he was placed on the Army Reserve.

Recalled to the 1st Battalion on the outbreak of hostilities in South Africa, Lawrence served as a Sergeant throughout the War and was present at Magersfontein, Waterval Drift, Graspan, Paardeberg, Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Houtnek, Vet River, Zand River, Doornkop and Belfast. In January 1902 he was advanced to Colour-Sergeant and his D.C.M. was gazetted that October.

Lawrence continued to serve in the 1st Battalion after the War and attended a course at the School of Musketry at Hythe in July 1903. In the following year he was posted to the 3rd Militia Battalion, and in June 1906 he joined the 6th Volunteer Battalion as Acting Sergeant-Major, where he remained on the permanent staff until the termination of his second period of engagement in December 1910.

Re-enlisting as a Private in August 1914, he was immediately reinstated as a Colour-Sergeant and joined the 8th Battalion of the Gordons. Embarked for France in May 1915, he served with the Battalion until wounded at Loos on 7 September that year. Four days later he was repatriated to the U.K., where he remained until the War’s end, initially serving with the 3rd Militia Battalion but latterly as an Instructor with the 1st Dumfriesshire Volunteers.

Demobilised in April 1919, Lawrence returned to civilian life as a shipyard worker, and settled in Aberdeen, where he died in December 1945.