World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. He received the award on November 12, 1918 for his actions as a sergeant in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on September 12, 1918 at Gouzeaucourt Wood, France during the Hundred Days Offensive at the end of World War I. Born in Tarata, Taranaki, New Zealand, he joined the New Zealand Territorial Force in 1911. In May 1915, after the outbreak of World War I the previous year, he enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was assigned to the 2nd Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. In 1916 he was serving on the Western Front in France and participated in the Battle of the Somme where he was wounded. In 1918 he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and following the Second Battle of Bapaume, France he led a patrol that pursued retreating German forces for which he was awarded the Victoria Cross, whose citation reads: "For conspicuous bravery, skill, and enterprise at Gouzeaucourt Wood, France, 12 September 1918. Leading a patrol of 12 men Sergeant Laurent and his men found themselves deep within the German front-line trenches, further than they expected to be. Taking advantage of the situation, Laurent led his men on a daring attack on the German position which saw them kill 20 of the enemy and capture a further 112. During the attack, one of Laurent's men was killed and 3 wounded. With only eight men, Laurent led his men and the prisoners back to the allied lines, fighting off a fierce rearguard action." His other military awards include the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal, the Victory Medal (1914-19), the King George VI Coronation Medal, the New Zealand War Service Medal (World War II), the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal. Following the end of the war, he attended officer training school and received a commission as a lieutenant in February 1919. Shortly thereafter, he was discharged from the army and returned to New Zealand where he worked for an engineering firm in 1921. When World War II broke out, he was recalled to military service and given the rank of major in the Home Guard. In 1949 he retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel and died in Hastings, New Zealand at the age of 92, the last surviving New Zealand World War I Victoria Cross recipient.