Samuel William Lambert

A Private with 9th Bn., Samuel died on 8th of August 1918 at the age of 39. 

Samuel was born at Lowestoft in 1879, a son of George Herbert and Emily Elizabeth Lambert. He was baptised at Saint John's Church, Lowestoft, on 28 September 1879 and his family lived at Raglan Street. Note on some records his names are given as William Samuel. In 1881 his family lived at 3 Cambridge Road, Lowestoft. By 1891 Samuel's mother had died and his family lived at 13 Union Place, Lowestoft. 

On 24 January 1900 Samuel married Eleanor Isabella Gertrude Ellis at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. Samuel was a milkman living at 20 Stanford Street and Eleanor lived at 2 Nelson Road. Initially they lived at 20 Stanford Street, with Samuel's father. By 1911 they were living at 55 Lawson Road, South Lowestoft, and Samuel worked as a wooden case maker for a general preserved provision manufacturer. 

Samuel enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Royal Fusiliers, was posted to the 9th Battalion, and arrived in France on 6 December 1917 to join the Battalion. 

On 8 August 1918 the 9th Battalion were part of a general attack south of the Bray-Corbie Road. The attack involved tanks. The Battalion War Diary has:

A dense mist prevailed at Lens and it was impossible to see 10 yards as a result platoons, companies and tanks became somewhat mixed up. By 8 a.m. the mist had lifted and it was reported that the first objective had been gained by B Company on the right and D Company on the left. A Company on the right and C Company on the left passed through and gained the second objective. The 53rd Brigade of the 18th Division passed through us to the third objective which they gained. They were driven out by a German counter-attack and by the afternoon the Battalion found that it was holding the front line. All troops in front of the Battalion had been driven back. The Battalion held on to the objective and the Battalion consolidated the lines it had gained. 

On that day the Battalion sustained over 350 casualties including Samuel.