Lawson Ellis's Story.
The Birkenhead News, Wednesday, May 9, 1917.
KILLED IN ACTION
Mr and Mrs James Allan, off Maple-Holme, Bidston Road, Oxton, have recently received news of the death in action of their youngest son, Second Lieutenant Lawson E Allan. He was educated at Sedbergh Public School, after a preparatory course at Birkenhead School. At Sedbergh he took a keen and successful part in the school athletics, won a number of cups, and was captain of the school football team. He was a member of the Sedbergh O.T.C. and secured a Commission in the Westmorland and Cumberland Yeomanry on leaving school, just two years ago. After six months of training, he went to France as signalling officer to the first line of his regiment in November 1915 and a year later volunteered as an observer in the Royal Flying Corps, to which he was attached since November last. He recently attained his full qualification as an observer I was due home shortly to qualify for his pilot's certificate. In a letter announcing the death of Second Lieutenant Allan, his squadron commander states that the young officer was shot down on April 26 by hostile machine guns and that everything points to the fact that he and his pilot must have been killed at once, as eyewitnesses of the flight saw the machine strike the ground completely wrecked on the German side of the lines. Second Lieutenant Allan he adds was one of the pluckiest, keenest, and the most reliable observers of his squadron and was extremely popular.
His eldest brother, Lieutenant Stanley W Allan of the 7th Kings Liverpool Regiment was killed in action in the attack at Festubert, France in May 1915. His remaining brother, Sidney L Allan of the 10th Liverpool Scottish (attached to the South Lancashire's) went abroad last week.