Myles Lawson was born on 20 February 1911 at West Ham, London, the son of Albert and Kathleen Lawson. Before joining the Royal Navy on 10 August 1926 he worked as a shop boy.

After undergoing basic training at HMS GANGES he served in the battleships HMS BENBOW and RESOLUTION and the destroyer HMS WESSEX.  He started submarine training at HMS DOLPHIN on 28 November 1934 before serving in the depot ship HMS THAMES, the submarine HMS L26 and the depot ship CYCLOPS.  He joined HMS SNAPPER on 8 January 1940 and was advanced to Leading Seaman in May of that year.

He left a widow, Lucy, at Sheerness, Kent and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.