Lawrence Weathers

Lawrence Weathers VC
Private Lawrence Weathers c. 1916
Born	(1890-05-14)14 May 1890 Te Kōpuru, New Zealand
Died	29 September 1918(1918-09-29) (aged 28) Saint Quentin Canal, Péronne, France
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Imperial Force
Years of service	1916–1918
Rank	Corporal
Unit	43rd Battalion
Battles/wars	World War I Western Front Battle of Messines  (WIA) German spring offensive  (WIA) Battle of Hamel Hundred Days Offensive Battle of Amiens Second Battle of the Somme Battle of Mont St. Quentin Battle of St. Quentin Canal  (DOW)
Awards	Victoria Cross

Lawrence Carthage Weathers, VC (14 May 1890 – 29 September 1918) was a New Zealand-born Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in battle that could be awarded to a member of the Australian armed forces at the time. His parents returned to their native South Australia when Weathers was seven, and he completed his schooling before obtaining work as an undertaker in Adelaide. He enlisted as a private in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in early 1916, and joined the 43rd Battalion. His unit deployed to the Western Front in France and Belgium in late December. After a bout of illness, Weathers returned to his battalion in time to take part in the Battle of Messines in June 1917, during which he was wounded. Evacuated to the United Kingdom, he rejoined his unit in early December.

Promoted to lance corporal in March 1918, Weathers fought with his battalion during the German spring offensive, but was gassed in May and did not return to his unit until the following month. He participated in the Battle of Hamel in July, the Battle of Amiens in August, and the Battle of Mont Saint-Quentin in September. At Mont Saint-Quentin he was recommended for the award of the Victoria Cross. Promoted to temporary corporal, he was mortally wounded in the head by a shell on 29 September during the Battle of St Quentin Canal, and died soon after, unaware that he was to receive the Victoria Cross, which was not announced until late December. Until 2016, his Victoria Cross was in private hands, but in that year it was purchased at auction and donated to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, where it is displayed in the Hall of Valour.