Lawrence Bontor was born on 23 April 1896, the son of Dr Sidney Algernon Bontor and Ada Bontor (née Colls). He joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 January 1909. He was promoted to Midshipman on 15 September 1913 and was appointed to the battleship HMS BELLEROPHON on the same date. Lawrence Bontor was promoted to Sub lieutenant on 15 May 1916. Whilst serving in HMS BELLEROPHON he was present at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May /1 June 1916. On 9 October 1916 he was appointed to the destroyer HMS NIZAM.

Lawrence Bontor was appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for submarine training on 6 August 1917 and was then appointed to HMS V4 as First Lieutenant on 5 January 1918. He was further appointed on 1 April 1918 to HMS L10, which commissioned on 4 June 1918.

HMS L10 was sunk on the morning of 3 October 1918 by gunfire from the German destroyer S33. The Commanding Officer had made a torpedo attack on S33 as it was engaged in trying to rescue survivors of its sister ship, the destroyer S34, which had run into a minefield. In making his attack on S33 the Commanding Officer inadvertently allowed the submarine’s conning tower to broach the surface. This was sighted by S33, which then made a successful gun attack resulting in the loss of L10 with all hands. L10’s attack on S33 was eventually successful as the destroyer was so irreparably damaged, that she had to be sunk by other German forces.

Lawrence Bontor of Elm Grove, Great Berkhamstead Hertfordshire is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval War Memorial on Panel No. 28.