In September 1915, she transferred to the Mediterranean, taking part in the Gallipoli Campaign before returning to the Harwich Force in June 1916.

She took part in the Battle of Dover Strait in October 1916 and in January 1918 transferred to Devonport where she was employed on convoy escort duties until the end of the war.

Four of the destroyers were ordered from Yarrow, with four more from Fairfield, and two each from Denny, Parsons, Swan Hunter, Thonycroft, White and Beardmore.

[12][13] On 28 August 1914, the Harwich Force, supported by light cruisers and battlecruisers of the Grand Fleet, carried out a raid towards Heligoland with the intention of destroying patrolling German torpedo boats.

[17] On 2 November Lawford accompanied the light cruiser Aurora and the destroyers Lark and Laverock on a search for German submarines on the Broad Fourteens.

[19][20] On 23 January 1915, the German battlecruisers made a sortie to attack British fishing boats on the Dogger Bank.

[25] On 30 January 1915, Lawford was one of eight destroyers of the Harwich Force[a] that, together with the light cruiser Undaunted were ordered to the Irish Sea in response to a series of attacks by the German submarine U-21 on shipping near Liverpool.

That night all three ships ran aground on the Welsh coast, forcing the journey to be abandoned, with the two destroyers being docked at Newport, Wales for repair.

[28] On 1 May 1915, the German submarine SM UB-6 torpedoed and sank the old British destroyer Recruit near the Galloper Light Vessel, off the Thames Estuary.

Four destroyers of the Harwich Force, Lawford, Laforey, Lark and Leonidas set out to hunt for Recruit's assailant.

[38] The destroyers of the Harwich Force were regularly detached to the Channel to strengthen the defences of the Dover Patrol against potential attack by German surface forces, and in late October 1916, Lawford led a division of four destroyers[b] that was taking its turn reinforcing the Dover Patrol.

[44] Lawford's commanding officer misinterpreted his orders, and on hearing reports of the German attacks, took his division of destroyers south east to investigate, leaving the Downs unguarded.

[49][50][51] Lawford was modified to carry modern H-type mines in 1917,[2] and by August 1917 was listed as one of four[c] minelaying destroyers in the 7th Flotilla.

[57] After the end of the war, the Royal Navy rapidly reduced in size,[58] and by March 1919, Lawford was in reserve at the Nore.