Orders, Decorations and Medals

Ten: Sergeant L. W. Lazarus, Royal Pioneer Corps, late London Regiment, East Surrey Regiment and Royal Navy, twice discharged for enlisting under age during the Great War

British War and Victory Medals (17989 Pte. L. W. Lazarus, E. Surr. R.); British War and Victory Medals (J.75305 L. W. Lazarus, Ord., R.N.); 1939-45 Star; Italy Star; France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, these unnamed; Efficiency Medal, G.VI.R., 1st issue, Territorial (6204686 Sjt. W. Lazarus, R.P.C.) note variation in initials, edge bruising, contact marks, good fine and better (10) £150-200

Louis William Lazarus was born in Hackney, London, on 8 January 1900. Within months of the outbreak of war and in the wave of patriotism that swept through the country, Lazarus, then living with his parents in Hackney, was caught up in the fervour and enlisted into the Army in the early months of 1915, managing to join the 11th (County of London) Battalion (Finsbury Rifles) London Regiment. After 9 months he was identified and discharged for being under age. On 2 February 1916 he enlisted again, this time with the East Surrey Regiment, and although declaring that he had been discharged from the Finsbury Rifles for being under age, stated this time that he was 19 years of age!

After a period of training with the 3rd Battalion East Surrey Regiment at Dover in May 1916, Lazarus was drafted to the 7th Battalion serving in France. Just prior to the carnage that was to mark the start of the battle of the Somme, Lazarus’s true age was discovered and he was sent back to Etaples and thence to England, arriving there on 4 July. Private Lazarus was discharged on 11 August 1916 ‘having made a mis statement as to age on enlistment’.

Not deterred by his wartime double discharge, Lazarus then turned to the Royal Navy and joined H.M.S. Powerful as a Boy 2nd Class on 27 July 1917. Advanced to Boy 1st Class, October 1917 and Ordinary Seaman, January 1918, he served aboard the battleship Monarch, October 1917-September 1918. He was discharged in 1919. As a result of his service with both the Army and Royal Navy he was awarded a double-issue of the British War and Victory Medals.

Circa 1938 Lazarus was serving with the 8th Battalion Middlesex Regiment T.A. Seeing active service during the Second World War, he was later awarded the Efficiency Medal for service with the Royal Pioneer Corps. With a quantity of copied service papers and other research.