Curran, Lawrence

2805 Private Lawrence Curran - 11th Battalion AIF

Lawrence Curran was born in Port Adelaide South Australia in 1888 to Joseph and Alice Curran. His siblings were James, Margaret, Mary, John and Joseph.

The family then moved to Western Australia, taking up residence at Point Street Fremantle.

In 1910 Lawrence was living at 12 Point Street and working as a Cellarman and was working as such up to the Great War.

His father Joseph died in 1914 while on a visit to South Australia.

In June 1915 Lawrence tried to enlist but was rejected due to his teeth. He had these fixed and on the 15th July 1915 Lawrence successfully enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force. He was found to be fit for enlistment, with the medical examiner recording his physical details as;

Height - 5 feet 7 & 3/4 inches tall;

Weight - 142lbs;

Chest Measurement - 36-38 inches;

Complexion - Fresh;

Eyes - Blue;

Hair - Brown.

After his successful enlistment Lawrence was sent to Blackboy Hill Camp where he was assigned to the 9th Reinforcements to the 11th Battalion AIF. He trained with this group in WA until the 4th October 1915. He then entrained with his group to Fremantle Harbour where they boarded the transport ship HMAT Hororata. They then set sail for Egypt, reaching there towards the end of the month.

After their arrival Lawence and his group were disembarked and sent to the AIF reinforcement camp. He would remain here for the next few months. While in the Garrison Camp Lawrence got into trouble for being drunk and assaulting a local inhabitant. He was given a court martial and pleaded guilty to the first charge but not guilty to the second. He was found guilty on both charges and was fined 110 days pay and was sentenced to six months detention, however this was reduced to three months detention.

This meant that Laurie was sent to a military prison in Cairo for three months, and in the meantime the 11th battalion had departed for Egypt.

When Laurie was released from prison in May 1916 he was attached to the 3rd Training Battalion. He departed Egypt with them on the 9th May 1916 and journeyed to England.

Laurie remained in England until June 1916 when he was then transferred to France. On arrival he spent a few days at the 1st Australian Division Base Depot at Etaples and then joined the 11th Battalion.

Laurie was soon serving with the 11th Battalion at Pozieres in July 1916 when they helped capture the village. He came through this and subsequent actions at Mouquet Farm in August 1916 unscathed.

In September 1916 the 1st Australian Division were sent to Ypres in Belgium where they spent several weeks before returning  to the Somme battlefield in October 1916. They would be in this sector till February 1917 and during this time had to undergo the coldest French winter in decades.

Laurie got through this time without being wounded or evacuated sick. In March 1917 the Germans began their withdrawal to their pre-prepared defensive position known as the Hindenburg Line. The Australian and British units followed up this withdrawal closely and several sharp actions were found around the Hindenburg Outpost line villages. Laurie and the 11th battalion saw action around Morchies, Boursies and Lagnicourt through March and April 1917.

The 11th battalion then took part in the action at Bullecourt in May 1917. Laurie had come through all these actions safely.

In June 1917 the 11th battalion was withdrawn for a well deserved three month rest period. Much of this time was taken up with training and sporting activities.

They moved back to the front line in September 1917 when they moved to Belgium to take part in the Third Battle of Ypres. Laurie served with the 11th battalion at the Battle of Menin Road on September 20th 1917 and subsequent actions at Polygon Wood, Celtic Wood and Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele through October and November 1917.

From December 1917 to March 1918, the 11th Battalion held the front line in the sector between Messines and Ypres Belgium.

As a result of the German offensive of March 21st 1918 when they broke through the British front in the southern sector, the five Australian divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop this advance. The 11th Battalion, as part of the 1st Australian Division was the last of the divisions to leave Belgium and had just arrived near Amiens when the Germans broke through the line in Belgium and made a speedy advance into northern France. The 1st Australian Division was then returned north and met the Germans around Hazebrouck, Meteren and Merris and for the next few months were in action here.

On the 23rd June 1918 Laurie took part in an 11th Battalion raid on German positions at Merris and was wounded when he was hit in the shoulder. with shrapnel. He was taken to the 3rd Field Ambulance where he was initially treated and was then transferred to the 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station. He was then transferred to hospital in Boulogne where he spent the next two weeks.

On the 8th July 1918 Laurie was transferred to England and on arrival was admitted to Fort Pitt Military Hospital at Chatham. He spent a week there and on the 16th July 1918 was sent to the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Dartford. Laurie was then sent to No.4 Command Depot Camp at Hurdcott on the 2nd August 1918.

Laurie remained at Hurdcott for the next two months and on the 1st October 1918 was transferred to the Overseas Training Brigade Camp at Longbridge Deverell. He had another few weeks here and then on the 24th October 1918 returned to France. 

He rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 29th October 1918. Laurie's unit was then on a rest period out of the front lines and were just preparing to return to the front when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918.

When the Germans withdrew to behind their own borders, the Australians were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France. Laurie served with the 11th Battalion till the 13th February 1919. He then reported sick and was sent to the 2nd Field Ambulance and then the 55th Casualty Clearing Station.

Laurie was then transferred to the 8th Stationary Hospital and was diagnosed with venereal disease. He spent a few weeks in hospital and then rejoined the 11th Battalion on the 3rd March 1919. Laurie only had three more weeks in France and was then sent back to England to await repatriation home.

On the 1st June 1919 Laurie went aboard the transport ship Somali and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 8th July 1919.

Laurie was discharged from the AIF on the 30th August 1919.

He then returned home to 12 Point Street and resumed his work as a Cellarman. In 1922 Laurie moved to 46 Parry Street (later renumbered 19 Parry) and was soon working as a Linesman on the telegraph and power poles before returning to work on the wharves as a Lumper.

His mother died 1933 at their Parry Street house in Fremantle.

In 1943 Laurie was living at 12 Josephson Street Fremantle.

Lawrence Curran died 16th March 1943 in Fremantle aged 53. He is buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Roman Catholic Mon CC 0813.