Capt. Roger Fettiplace Lawrence MID.
British Army 172 Field Regt. 155 Bty Royal Artillery
from:Mickleham, Dorking
(d.15th Jan 1944)
My Uncle Roger Lawrence was my mother's younger brother. He was captured in Tunisia on 26th February 1943 after his unit had taken part in the epic Battle of Sidi Nisr against German tanks. They were nicknamed the "VC Battery", though none of them received VCs, it's said because there were too many casualties and men captured. But they enabled the British advance on Tunis.
Roger was taken to a prison camp in Italy, and if anyone who reads this recongises his name and knows which camp I'd be grateful. I have strong memories of my grandmother in Red Cross uniform at a centre for sending parcels to POWs, I think in Guildford.
After the fall of Italy in September 1943 Roger, like most POWS, went on the run and tried to get to Allied lines. But in January 1944 he was with another British soldier in a barn when they were surprsied by Gestapo. The other Briton froze and lived to tell the tale, but Roger made a movement and was shot. We had fuller details in the family, but they have been mislaid. If anyone knows more, I should be so grateful.
One of my strongest war memories, and the most painful, is of my mother rushing upstairs in tears when the news of his death reached us.
