Tribute to 1465218 Pte Lawrence Chivers

W.C.G.

Lawrence Chivers has been a member of the Llanelli Branch of the Royal Regiment of Wales Comrades Association ever since the amalgamation of the South Wales Borderers and the Welch Regiment which took place in 1969, he has served on the committee for many years and all we know about him until recently was, he served in the 2nd Battalion the Monmouthshire Regiment and was on the Normandy Landing.

Lawrence was the type of person who would give praise to anyone for doing a good deed, but he would never talk about himself. It seems the reunion to take place in 's-Hertogenbosch has awakened a number of the men ho served there, and many meeting for the first time after so many years are rather excited about it, this is ho I came to hear the story of one of our Branch Members, Lawrence Chivers, those who knew him and served with him were very surprised to know he hadent received any form of recognition for his acts of bravery under heavy fire on a number of occasions whilst doing his duty as a stretcher bearer.

Lawrence Chivers Landed in Normandy as a rifleman in D company 16 Platoon, D company was on Hill 112 the company mas to make a raid on the enemy, the purpose of the exercise was to take prisoners to obtain information, everyone knew this exercise was going to be a tough one, for this reason majority of the Battalion Stretcherbearers were attached to D company, after the raid it was found a number of the stretcherbearers mere wounded and had to be replaced, four men was selceted from each company, they were to have to hrs a day instruction this lasted for thee days and then back to the trenches, of the four selected to were required for duty the other two would be in reserve, Larence Chivers and Frank James were the two selected to become stretcherbearers and were to remain with D company.

It was after crossing the River Orme the stretcherbearers knew what their job was all about.

The next move was Falaise another crossing Seine, and into Flerbaic Belgum and Antwerp, another crossing was made this was to widen the corrider for the Airborne beteen Esant and Wellalmen Canal, during the night the German Bombers hit us casualties were high, after making the crossing they ended up in a minefield, D company being hit the hardest, this was a night never to be forgotten, D company was the leading company and suffered severe casualties by the time the ares mas cleared of wounded it was dark the remainder of D company had advanced some considerable distance.

The next company in was B company they were to advance through D company, D company stetcherbearers to go with B company and to rejoin D company later.

B company had hardly dug themselves in when the Germans launched a counter attack to Officers of B compeny were badly wounded their stretcherbearers were taken prisoners, Lawrence Chivers and Frank James attended the wounds and took them back through the minefields to the R.A.P, the officers thanked the stretcherbearers and praised them for their courage shown whilst attending them and in getting them back to the R.A.P., they said they would be reporting the action to the Commanding Officer.

It was at 's-Hertogenbosch the 53rd Welch Division had their finest hour the attack was absolutely perfect.

A company was the first in and was met with fierce resistance, D company were next and was pinned down by Artillery and Mortar fire, A company were suffering heavy causalties and requested a stretcherbearer from D company, Major Morgen D company commander who was later to win the M.C. detailed Lawrence Chivers to go forward join A company and give all help possible, on reaching A company in no mans land he found a number of dead and wounded, near by was a building he dargged the wounded behind the building to have cover from the enemy so that he could attend to the needs of the wounded during the time he was attending the wounded he found one of them mas from his home Town Llanelli since that day Delwyn Jones he was the one that was wounded and Lawrence Chivers have been the best of pals, when his work was completed he got word back asking for transport t evacuate the wounded. C.S.M. Jones brought up transport and helped Lawrence Chivers to get the wounded onto the truck, after he was satisfied they were comfortable he left to rejoin D company. Before C.S.M. Jones took the wounded back to R.A.P. he complimented Lawrence Chivers for what he done and said he would be reporting it to the Company Commander Major Morgan.

A company reached their objective.

When D company advanced they had in support Tanks carrying Flame Throwers any Germans in the buildingd would have got burned out, when the fighting cooled down vi1lagers mere coming out of hiding and were pleased to see British Troops, within a short time the Germans counter attacked, this attack was beaten off, unfortunately there were a number of civilians wounded.

In D company they had a Russian Prince, Captain Prince Galitzine he got shot in the stomach in the village of Bruggen, when Lawrence Chivers and his partner arrived, civilians were carrying Captain Galitzine on an improvised stretcher, they took over, redressed his wounds and got him back to the R.A.P. unfortunately he died the next day.

In Ardenns Frank James stretcherbearer partner to Lawrence Chivers was wounded Lawrence dressed his wounds and got him back.

Lawrence Chivers carried out his duties as stretcher bearer until the end of the War doing excellent work, at the end of the War there was approxintely twelve men in D company who was on the Normandy Landing and carried on right threugh Lawrence Chivers was one of these men.

Delwyn Jones A compeny 2nd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment thank Lawrence Chivers for saving his life and the lives of othere in A company. On the morning of the 23rd October 1944, as a member of A company I was wounded, the man who came to my aid was Lawrence Chivers of D company who as a stretcherbearer, at that time fifteen members of A company had been wounded. If it had not been for the aid I received from Lawrence Chivers who attended my wounds and this apply to other members of A company we would not be enjoying the life we are today. For myself it was good to see Lawrence who come from my home Tom Llanelli, and to this day we are the best of pals.

Erfgoed 's-Hertogenbosch (0824.714)