2nd Lieutenant Laurence Robathan (MiD)
2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment
Died of Wounds
Date of Birth: 1897
Place of Birth: Handsworth Wood, South Staffordshire
Date of Death: 28 September 1917
Buried: Dozingham Cemetery, Belgium
Awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, Mentioned in Dispatches
Mentioned in Despatches
2nd Lieutenant Laurence Robathan (MidD) age 20.
His older brother, Greaser Allan Keith Robathan, was killed in action whilst serving on HMS Otranto in Brazil as part of the Mercantile Marine Reserve on 6th June 1915 aged 23.
Born in 1897 at Handsworth Wood, South Staffordshire, he was the son of Arnold and Laura Robathan, brother of Allan (died in 1915).
The 1901 census showed Laurence living with his parents and siblings in Handsworth Wood.
By 1911 the family were living in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk. His parents later moved to The Mount, Teignmouth, Devon.
Laurence enlisted with the London Regiment in November 1915, service number 5272 and landed in France on 14 May 1916.
Commissioned on 26 June 1917, he was gazetted 2nd Lieutenant with the Leicestershire Regiment in July 1917.
Leicester Regiment
Cap Badge © IWM (INS 5592)
Laurence was serving with 2/5th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment in Belgium when he was wounded during the battle for Polygon Wood on 26 September, he later died on 28 September 1917.
Mentioned in Despatches by Haig, London Gazette December 1917.
Buried in Dozingham Cemetery, Belgium. His grave Inscription there reads: “Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ”.
Family headstone Teignmouth Old Cemetery plot CC184
The family headstone in Teignmouth Cemetery reads:
In fond memory of Dorothy Searle Robathan "Called home" Oct 11th 1935
Allan Keith Robathan who fell in the great war buried at Rio Janeiro 1915
Laurence Robathan buried in Flanders 1917
All "Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ"
Also of their mother Laura Searle Robathan "Called Home" Nov 16th 1938 "Joy Unspeakable." 1.Peter.I.8
Also of Arnold Robathan husband of Laura Searle Robathan who died March 30th 1943, Aged 82. "I know whom I have Believed" 2.Tim.I.12.
“also in memory of a. K. Robathan, greaser, mmr. H.M.S. Otranto 6th june 1915 age 23, buried elsewherein this city”.
Gratuities totalling £51.2s.4d were paid to his estate.
Clipping from De Ruvigny's roll of honour
