Lawrie, Andrew Ralph ( - 1917)

Lieutenant, Tank Corps

Buried at Tyne Cot Memorial

Commemorated at City of Glasgow Roll of Honour at Glasgow City Chambers

Andrew Ralph Lawrie was the eldest son of Andrew Lawrie, a Justice of the Peace (JP) and agent of the St George's Cross branch of the National Bank. The family home was at Dungoyne, Kirkintilloch. Andrew went up to the University of Glasgow in the autumn of 1913 to study medicine. He was sixteen. Four years later, on 22nd August, instead of anticipating Finals and a career in Medicine ahead of him, he, like too many of his fellow students, had sacrificed his life on the Western Front.

Andrew matriculated to study Chemistry and Zoology in his first year, and Anatomy the following session. In the spring of 1916, however, he volunteered for active service and received a commission as Second Lieutenant with the 9th Battalion Scottish Rifles. He left for the Front in France on 22nd August. In December of that year he was transferred to the 'Heavy Branch of the Machine Gun Corps' and was promoted to Lieutenant. In May 1917 he was slightly wounded in the face, but healed quickly and returned to duties.

Andrew was in command of one of the tanks of 'D' Battalion of the First Tank Brigade when they engaged with the enemy just east of Saint Julian, north east of Ypres. This was the Third Battle of Ypres as the Allies pushed towards the final capture of Passchendale. But success was months away. On 22nd August the troops and tanks were under heavy fire and ploughing through the mud, many of the tanks mired down in it. Andrew was killed in action.

Lieutenant Andrew Ralph Lawrie is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial in Passchendaele-Zonnebeke.