Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Backhurst, a domestic coachman, born in the 3rd quarter of 1859 in Hampton, Middlesex and his wife Maria Backhurst (nee Jennings, married in the 3rd quarter of 1890 in the Hardingstone, Northamptonshire district), born 1860 in Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire. Lawrence Arthur was born in the 1st quarter of 1893 in Buxted, Sussex, his siblings were, William George, born on the 30th September 1891 in Oxfordshire, Gladys Winifred, born in the 2nd quarter of 1897, Frank Henry, born on the 7th September 1898 and Alice Amy, born in the 2nd quarter of 1900, the latter three siblings were all born in Buxted, in March 1901 the family home was at 3, Totease Cottage, Buxted, Sussex. In April 1911 Lawrence was employed as a domestic gardener and was residing in the family home at Saxon Court Cottages, Buxted, together with his father, a domestic coachman, his mother and siblings, William, a domestic groom, Gladys, a schoolgirl, Frank, a schoolboy and Alice, a schoolgirl.
Lawrence’s Army enlistment documents do not survive, but from the few existing documents that are available in the public domain, it can be confirmed that he enlisted into the Army in Redhill, Surrey. After enlistment, although it is unclear to which Regiment he was first allocated, it can however be confirmed that he was posted to the 8th Battalion of the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment and allotted the service number G/2291. It was with this Battalion that he first entered the theatre of war in Boulogne, France on the 31st August 1915, nothing further is known of his military service until he was officially recorded as having been killed in action on the 25th September 1915, while serving with the 8th Battalion of the Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. His body was never recovered and he is commemorated on the Loos Memorial in France. Lawrence was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
The War Diary records: 25 Sep-15 – BETHUNE. Move at mid-day to VERMELLES. Halt 3 hours behind our own batteries firing all the time. Move on through VERMELLES village at 5.00pm and slowly to trenches near to LE LUTOIRE FARM. Commanding Officer then ordered to prepare for an attack on the ground South of HULLUCH village. 8th WEST KENT REGIMENT and 9th EAST SURREY REGIMENT in the attack, 8th QUEEN’S ROYAL WEST SURREY REGIMENT in support of WEST KENT REGIMENT and 8th BUFFS in support of the EAST SURREY REGIMENT. No written orders and no time for the attack given. For a time we lose connection with WEST KENT REGIMENT owing to darkness and difficult nature of the country, which is a maze of trenches. Magnetic compass bearing of the attack 42˚. Are shelled at 11.00pm, but no casualties, reach trenches from which to begin the attack at 2.00am. These are the communication trenches in rear of the German first line trenches captured in the morning.