Lawrence Heenan was born in 1891 in West Lothian, Scotland, one of five sons and three daughters born to Laurence Heenan and his wife Margaret. Laurence Heenan was of Irish origin, possibly from County Clare. He worked as a tin miner and then a coal miner in the Denny area of Stirlingshire and also in Lanarkshire.

His son Lawrence was also working as a coal miner near his home in Denny, Stirlingshire until he enlisted in the Argyll and Sunderland Highlanders Regiment on October 27, 1914. He was stationed in barracks with the 10th (Service) Battalion until orders came through to join the Expeditionary Force in France. He arrived at Boulogne on May 11, 1915 and proceeded to the Belgian front. 

His death is recorded officially as October 15, 1915 but it appears he was killed as a result of an explosion from a German mine placed under a crater at trench 29 near Dickebush. The Battalion’s diary records that the attack on October 13  resulted “in the loss of about 30 men, 14 of whom were killed and 16 missing. All dug outs nearby were completely blown in causing many men to be buried. “

Lawrence Heenan was 25 years old at the time of his death. 

Lawrence Heenan’s death is commemorated at the Menin Gate memorial in Ypres, Belgium on panels 42 and 44. He was posthumously awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

His four brothers also served in the army during the war. His eldest brother James served with the Egyptian expeditionary force.

Full details of Lawrence Heenan and his family can be found on the Heenan Footsteps website in the Military Records section