Born in Copeland on the 2nd of March 1891, Andrew was one of 5 children to Joseph E and Margaret Mary (nee McPherson) Laurie of ‘Invergordon’ a property in the Gloucester district of New South Wales.
Giving his occupation as a grazier, Andrew enlisted on the 27th of April 1916 with the 4th reinforcements, 1st Machine Gun Company. After his initial training with the 4th Reinforcements, they were trained to Melbourne on the 15th of May for specialist training. The 4th Reinforcements embarked aboard the HMAT Orontes for England on the 16th of August 1916.
The Machine Gun Corps was formed after it was realised that to be fully effective on the Western Front, machine guns must be used in larger units and crewed by specially trained men. Consequently, a depot and training centre was established at Belton Park where the 4th Reinforcements arrived after landing in the UK. They were then transferred to Grantham House on the 19th of November before proceeding overseas to France aboard the Princess Henrietta on the 19th of January 1917. They then departed Base Depot Camiers on the 29th of January to proceed to their unit where they were taken on strength on the 2nd of February.
While the 1st MGC were involved in the early battles of Australia’s involvement on the Western Front including Pozieres and Mouquet Farm, it would be the Battle of Bullecourt commencing mid-April where Andrew saw action.
While initially a disaster with catastrophic losses, the Fifth Army was preparing for a bigger effort, (the Battle of Bullecourt 3–17 May 1917). Two German divisions fell on the positions of the 1st Australian Division (which included the 1st MGC) and 2nd Australian Division. The Australians repulsed the attacks, except at Lagnicourt, where German troops broke in, took prisoners destroyed six artillery pieces and recovered confidential documents. Australian counterattacks cut off some of the attackers and inflicted 2,313 casualties against 1,010 Australians.
On the 6th of May Andrew received shrapnel wounds to his right ankle and was treated at the 3rd Casualty Clearing Station before being transferred to the 11th Stationary Hospital at Rouen. Having recovered he was released from hospital on the 13th of September to Base Details, Camiers where he arrived on the 15th. On the 8th of October he proceeded to rejoin his unit where he was taken on strength on the 11th.
Andrew returned to his unit in the thick of the Battle of Passendale for control of the ridges south and east of the Belgian city of Ypres in West Flanders, which had commenced shortly after Bullecourt while he was hospitalised. His time on the front would be short as on the 14th of November he was again wounded during a gas attack. Taken to a Casualty Clearing Station with Haemoptysis (coughing up blood) he was transferred to the 53rd General Hospital on the 15th being admitted with Laryngitis. By the 25th of November he was back at Base Details and rejoined his unit on the 6th of December.
Signal Schools were responsible in training men for laying telephone lines and ensuring communication was established between the divisional headquarters and the advanced brigades. The signallers were exposed to danger from enemy snipers while manually signalling and running messages throughout the trenches.
Andrew was attached to the Division Signals School on the 23rd of December and rejoined his unit on the 13th of January 1918. He was again attached, this time to the Corps Signals School on the 17th of January. While there he reported sick at the 1st NZ Field Ambulance (FA) on the 16th of February with the mumps and was transferred to 173 West Riding FA On the 24th he was again back at the 1st NZ FA before being transferred to the Casualty Clearing Station on the 3rd of March. Andrew rejoined the 1st MG Coy on the 13th of March.
On the 2nd of April Andrew’s Regimental number was reallotted to 329A. He was granted leave in London between the 2nd till the 21st of June.
On the 21st of September 1918 Andrew was promoted to Temporary Corporal. On the 14th of October he was selected to attend Infantry Officer Cadet Battalion in London. Arriving at 5 Cadet Training School, Trinity College, Cambridge on the 8th of November and was appointed Cadet. He was transferred to 20 Cadet Battalion on the 12th of December for 2 days evaluation. His Personal File reported: Education- Fair, Ability to train a platoon- Fair and Ability to command a platoon- Good. He was appointed 2nd Lieutenant on probation on the 6th of January 1919 before again proceeding to France from Southampton on the 17th of January back to the 1st MG Coy.
With the end of hostilities Andrew was detached to Conducting Party at Charleroi, Belgium from the 1st MG Coy. On the 6th of April he was promoted to Lieutenant. Andrew’s war was over when on the 9th of May he embarked to arrive at Folkstone on the 11th to report to HQ London.
Andrew embarked aboard the HMAT A60 ‘Aeneas’ on the 31st of May for his return to Australia, arriving in Melbourne on the 12th of July 1919 and thence by rail to NSW.
On the 17th of June 1919 an extract from the fourth supplement of the London Gazette states:
Action which was recommended by the Commanding Officer 1 MG Coy:
During the operations near Hargicourt from the 18/21st September 1918, Privayr Laurie displayed great courage and devotion to duty. He was employed as Section Runner and twice volunteered and ran for stretchers and guided parties bearers to Aid Posts under heavy shell fire.
On the morning of 21st September he ran back to the Company ammunition and Belt Box Dumps through an exceptionally heavy hostile barrage and succeeded in maintaining supplies of BAA at the guns at a critical time.
His courage and devotion to duty materially assisted towards the success of the operation.
Signed, Major General Commanding 1st Aust Division
On the 28th of August 1919 Andrew was finally discharged from the AIF.
Having returned to Gloucester, Andrew married Kate Lilian, the daughter of George and Louisa Abbott at their property ‘Abbottville’ at Stroud on 26th November 1919in a military ceremony. After the wedding breakfast the couple left for Kiam and other holiday resorts for their honeymoon. The couple went on to have 2 children through the 1920’s and were living at ‘Bellvue’ at the outbreak of the 2nd World War.
Garrison Battalions were part of the Australian ‘Army Reserve’ within the CMF Militia structure for Homeland Defence with the role of manning fixed defences and vulnerable points. The personnel were Class B men, those between 48 and 55 who had seen war service before September 1939, therefore mostly WW1 veterans.
The 8th Garrison Battalion was raised in New South Wales and throughout the war was responsible for coastal defence in and around the Newcastle region. Thus, on 11th of December 1941 8th Garrison Battalion was allocated to the Newcastle Covering Force.
Andrew again enlisted on 3rd February 1941 at Gloucester to 8th Garrison Battalion returning to the rank of Private. On the 11th of April 1942 Andrew was appointed Lance Corporal however he took special leave with pay from the 24th of August until the 6th of September. It seems he applied to be discharged shortly after his return to duty as on the 14th of October he was transferred to GWE after which on the 20th of October he was discharged at own request.
Kate passed away on the 24th of May 1962, aged 73 years and was buried in the Gloucester Public Cemetery. Andrew died of natural causes on the 19th of December 1972 aged 84 and joined Kate in the Gloucester Cemetery.
