William John Lambert

A Private with the 4th Battalion, William died on 16th of November 1943 at the age of 23. 

William was born at Kirkley on 2 August 1920, a son of John William and Lilian Irene Lambert. He was baptised at Saint Peter's Church, Kirkley, on 5 September 1920. In 1921 he, and his parents, lived with his maternal grandparents Walter and Rachel Bunn, at 18 Lovewell Road, Kirkley. His parents still lived at 18 Lovewell Road in 1939. Later they lived at 3 Seaman's Cottages, Gorleston Road, Oulton Broad.

In autumn 1939 the 4th Battalion Suffolk Regiment was on guard duty in the Lowestoft area and from July to September 1940 had various local deployments, including guarding Great Yarmouth. The Battalion then moved to Bedfordshire and then Scotland until April 1941. Next the Battalion moved to Bury, Lancashire, and Hereford, before embarking on the S.S. Andes at Liverpool and sailing for Halifax, Nov Scotia. The Battalion changed ship, to the American liner Wakefield, and sailed for Trinidad and then Cape Town, arriving on 9 December 1941. The Battalion was given three days shore leave.

The Battalion was part of 54 Brigade in the 18th (East Anglian) Division. 

With the Japanese entry into the war the Battalion was now allocated to the Far East and sailed for India, arriving on 5 January 1942. The Battalion had three weeks of training before embarking at Bombay and sailing for Singapore, arriving on 29 January 1942. The Battalion had orders to defend the Golf Course and then fell back to defend the perimeter before the Singapore garrison was forced to surrender on 15 February 1942. 

Ninety men of the Battalion were killed, or died of wounds, in the defence of Singapore and 865 were taken prisoner.      

William was initially reported missing at Singapore, 15 February 1942, and was later confirmed to be a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. He worked on the Thai-Burma Railway and died from cholera (some sources state indigestion) at Tasao No 3 Camp. In September 1946 his body was exhumed and was reburied at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. 

William's cousin Reginald Howlett also served with the 4th Battalion, service number 5827161, was captured at Singapore and died on the Burma Railway.