Laurence Marks
Born:
23 Av 5654 (25 August 1894)
Basic Information
Birth
Date of birth:
23 Av 5654 (25 August 1894)
Place of birth:
Manchester
Death
Places
Addresses
144 Cheetham Hill Road Manchester (1894)
18 Broughton Street Manchester (1911)
326 Cheetham Hill Road Manchester (1917)
Schools
Name:
Manchester Jews School
Name:
Manchester Grammar School
Other Organisations
Name:
Council of Manchester and Salford Jews
Significance:
Honourary Solicitor and Secretary
Name:
Great Synagogue Committee
Significance:
Vice President
Synagogues
Name:
Manchester Great Synagogue
Memory from the Front
"One incident I shan't forget. One night we. i.e. a Corporal and a number of men including myself, were sent out on patrol to make contact with another party. When in no man's land, i.e. the area between our and the Germans front line, our clever N.C.O. took out and lit a cigarette. 'What the Hell are you doing' I shouted. I made a dive - and the others followed - for a large shell hole and there we stayed for quite a while till the enemy verey lights temporarily ceased and back to our own lines we safely arrived. What our N.C.O. told his officer I neither knew nor cared."
- Memoirs of Laurence Marks, thanks to his Grandson David Jacobs
Keeping Kosher
"We moved out to what is termed 'Rest Behind the Lines' to a place called Freesenville - an apt name as we could obtain a good Fress - meal. I couldn't keep Kosher as it would have meant starvation but bacon never. Abe Snipper of South Wales got my bacon ration in return for a chunk of bread and carrying my pack when out of the line - an exchange I appreciated as my back often troubled me even then at an early age."
- Memoirs of Laurence Marks
Leave for Passover
"...Passover in April I, as the spokesman of the Jewish boys, applied for Passover leave to Manchester.
Unfortunately there was an epidemic of fever in Manchester, or some such contagious illness, and the leave was being granted, on application, Manchester was barred. 'Vee cumt de cats ibber de vasser' - how does one circumvent this barrier? I had a brainwave and I was determined that I and the other Manchester Jewish boys would go home for the festival. Remember also that I and most of the Jewish boys always had a £ or so in our pockets - our pay of 'Epess' something or nothing being small - so I applied and obtained leave of absence to Derby after approval for Huddersfield which was granted, so away we went receiving railway warrants to Derby and some pay. On arrival there we chartered two or three taxis to Manchester. Reaching Manchester we carefully avoided Red Caps - Military Police -and arrived safely at our prospective homes, arrangements being that we would and in fact did change into civilian clothes during Pesach. No one was the wiser. At the end of Pesach we duly returned to camp."
-Memoirs of Laurence Marks
Family
Spouse
Place of marriage:
South Manchester Synagogue
Children
Siblings
Samuel Harry Marks (male)
Parents
Father: Louis Marks (male)
Mother: Jessie Zimmerman (female)
Military Record
Military record no.:
5245/53648
Date enlisted/conscripted:
1915
Date discharged/death:
14 August 1917
Rank at discharge/death:
Private
Assignments
Regiment:
Pembroke Yeomanry
Other Occupations
Type of employment:
Solicitor
Gallery
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Laurence in uniform
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Laurence in uniform
3 of 7
Soldiers outside their hut
4 of 7
Group of soldiers including Laurence
5 of 7
An extract from Laurence's diary July-August 1916
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Medal Card
7 of 7
Article in the Jewish Telegraph with Jewish members of the Pembroke Yeomanry
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Laurence in uniform
2 of 7
Laurence in uniform
3 of 7
Soldiers outside their hut
4 of 7
Group of soldiers including Laurence
5 of 7
An extract from Laurence's diary July-August 1916
6 of 7
Medal Card
7 of 7
Article in the Jewish Telegraph with Jewish members of the Pembroke Yeomanry
