Pte 21756 John William Lambert

• Age: 28
• From: Bootle
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

John William was born in the June quarter of 1888 in Bootle, the son of John Lambert and his wife Martha Ann (née Wood). His mother was born Martha Ann but on her marriage certificate signed Martha Florence. His parents married on the 30th May 1887 at St Anne's Church, Stanley. John was a 24 year old mild dealer of 50 Sutton Street, father John a cowkeeper, whilst Martha was aged 21, of the same address, father Robert a fishing tackle maker. John was the eldest of their nine children, all of whom were still alive in 1911.  

At the time of the 1891 Census the family is living at 4 Ancient Meadows, off Longmoor Lane, next to Kirkdale Cemetery. His father is aged 30, a horse keeper born in Askrigg, Yorks, mother is aged 25 born in Everton. They have two children; John is 2 years old, Mary E. is aged 1.   

By 1901 they have moved around the corner to 49 Moffatt Road and now have six children. His father, 40, is a Corporation road labourer, his mother is 35. John is 12, Mary E. 11, Martha J. 9, Samuel 6, Frances 4 and Robert 2.   

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 79 Sandy Lane, Liverpool. His father, John, is shown to be aged 51, born in Leeds in 1860 with his occupation shown as a general labourer. His mother Martha Ann is aged 46, born 1865 in Liverpool. They have been married for twenty three years and have had nine children of which one had sadly died. However, there are nine children in the household (no other birth records have been found). Those children listed in the household are shown as; John William aged 22, is an engineer in a railway signal works, Mary Elizabeth aged 21, born 1890 is a domestic servant, Samuel aged 16, born 1895 is a apprentice tin-smith in a railway signal works, Martha Jane aged 19, born 1892 is a domestic servant,  Fanny aged 13, born 1898 and Robert aged 12, born 1899 are both at school, Richard aged 9, born 1902, Albert aged 6, born 1905 and Frank aged 4, born 1907. All the children were born in Liverpool.  (no other birth records have been found). 

John William enlisted on the 12th November 1914 at Liverpool, joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 21756. He gave his age as 26 years and six months and occupation as a machinist. He was described as being five feet seven inches tall, weighed 120lbs, 34" chest, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England. His next of kin was his father John, of 79 Sandy Lane, Aintree. 

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 7^th November 1915.

His service records have survived and show the following: 

04.3.16: Sick to 98th Field Ambulance.

06.3.16: Admitted with sprained toe to 3 Amb. Flotilla (barges located along the Somme at Chipilly). 

11.3.16: Rejoined unit.

John William was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 28, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive.

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.   

John's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

This was the second loss in less than a fortnight for the family to bear, as John's younger brother Samuel had been killed in action as Sapper 46007 with the 3rd Signal Coy Royal Engineers on 19th July 1916, he was 22 years of age. Samuel's name like John's is featured on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.   

Death notices for the two brothers appeared in the local newspapers soon after:

Evening Express 15 August 1916:

Sapper Sam Lambert , Royal Engineers, killed in action 19th July 1916 age 22 years

Son of John and Martha Ann Lambert of 79 Sandy Lane, Aintree

Evening Express 28th August 1916:

Private J W Lambert, Kings Liverpool Regiment, Killed in Action 20th July 1916 age 27 years.

Mother, Father, sister and brother and his friend Margaret address 79 Sandy Lane Aintree.

His death was confirmed in the Liverpool Daily Post on Monday 11 September 1916: 

Killed. 

King’s (Liverpool Regiment) - Lambert, 21756, J. W (Liverpool).; 

John earned his three medals. 

His Army pay and a War Gratuity of £7-10s went to his father. 

His parents received a combined pension for both sons of 15/- a week from July 1917.

His father died in 1931 aged 70, and his mother in 1951 at the age of 86. 

John and Samuel are both commemorated on the Emmanuel Parish Church Tablet and Screen, Fazakerley.

John (but not Samuel) is also commemorated in Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 65 Right 

His father died in 1931 aged 70.

His mother died on 14th March 1951 at the age of 86.  

Her death featured in the Liverpool Echo on Thursday 15 March 1951: 

LAMBERT - March 14, after long suffering, aged 86 years, MARTHA ANN, the dearly beloved wife of the late John Lambert, 14 Pelops St, Kirkdale. Interment at Kirkdale Cemetery, on Saturday next, at 11.  

LAMBERT - Marsh 14, passed peacefully away after much suffering, aged 86 years, MARTHA ANN, of 14 Pelops St (We would not wake you to suffer more.) 

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