Pte 50144 George William Lambert

• Age: 19
• From: South Shields
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 17th Btn
• Died Wednesday 30th January 1918
• Commemorated at: Ham British Cem
  Panel Ref: I.B.22

George William Lambert was born in the June quarter of 1898 at Middlestone Moor near Spennymore the son of Fred Lambert and his wife Emily (nee Corner). His parents married 1895. He had two sisters, Ida Annie born in 1896 and Irene Mary born in 1901. 

The 1901 Census shows George is aged 2 living at Durham Road, Middlestone. His father, Fred, is aged 29 and a police constable born in Kirby, Yorkshire, whilst his mother Emily is 28 born in Otterington Yorkshire, sister Ida A. is aged 4 born in West Harlepool. Also present is visitor Elizabeth Corner 20 probably his mother's sister.

His mother, Emily died in the March quarter of 1906 aged 33.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 1 Cleveland Terrace, Cockfield. His father is a 39 year old widower and is employed as a Police Sergeant. George William is aged 12 and has two siblings; Ida Annie aged 14 and Irene Mary aged 10. Also present is Francis Dent a police constable who is shown as a boarder.

His father remarried in 1917 to Olive M. Stirk, they had a child Maurice Lambert.

Prior to the War George William had worked as a clerk for the North Eastern Railway for over 2 years working at Bowes, Cockfield and High Shields. 

He enlisted in South Shields, the cap badge on his photograph suggests he served with the Northumberland Fusiliers  but at the time of his death was serving in the 17^th Battalion, The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 50144. He died of Cardiac Dilatation and Rheumatism at 61st Casualty Clearing Station on 30/01/1918 aged 19. The record shows he was attached to the Headquarters of the 89th Infantry Brigade. 

George now rests at Ham British Cemetery.

In January, February and March 1918, the 61st (South Midland) Casualty Clearing Station was posted at Ham, but on the 23rd March the Germans, in their advance towards Amiens, crossed the Somme at Ham, and the town remained in German hands until the French First Army re-entered it on the following 6th September.

Ham British Cemetery was begun in January 1918 by the 61st Casualty Clearing Station as an extension of Muille-Villette German Cemetery.

In 1919 the graves in the British Cemetery were regrouped and others were added from the following sites:-

HAM COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (the "Neuer Friedhof Chaunystrasse"); CROIX-MOLIGNAUX GERMAN CEMETERY (March and April 1918); ESMERY HALLON CHURCHYARD; VILLERS ST. CHRISTOPHE CHURCHYARD (March 1918); EPPEVILLE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION (March 1918); and ST. SULPICE COMMUNAL CEMETERY.

Ham British Cemetery contains 485 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 218 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 14 soldiers, believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials record the names of 39 casualties known to have been buried in other cemeteries whose graves were not found.

Other German Cemeteries in the area were HAM CHURCHYARD GERMAN EXTENSION; MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY and MUILLE-VILLETTE COMMUNAL CEMETERY GERMAN EXTENSION. The British Graves from these three were moved to either HAM BRITISH CEMETERY or ROYE NEW BRITISH CEMETERY.

MUILLE-VILLETTE GERMAN CEMETERY adjoins the West side of the British Cemetery. It now contains the graves of 1,113 identified and 420 unidentified German soldiers.

The Teeside Mercury of the 06th February 1918 reported news of his death at a Clearing Station on 30th January 1918:

Police Sergeant Lambert of Cockfield has received notification from the War Office that his son, who was on active service, died at a clearing station in France on 30th January.

Soldiers Effects and Pension to father Fred

George is commemorated on the Cockfield War Memorial.

Grateful thanks are extended to the National Railway Museum at York for their permission to use the photograph of George William which is in their archives. 

We currently have no further information on George William Lambert, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.