72969 Driver Frederick Lambert
"D" Battery 92nd Brigade
Royal Field Artillery
12th February 1917
Born in Beckwithshaw,Pannal,Yorkshire in 1876.
His parents were Alfred Lambert(1849-1887) and
Mary Wilson (born in 1850). They married on 11/09/1870.
Frederick had 1 brother,Wilson(1875-1884) and 3 sisters,Jane(1871-1891),Mary Ann(born in 1872) and
Sarah (born in 1880).
In the 1881 census, they are recorded as living in Beckwithshaw,Pannal,Knaresborough. Frederick's father
was employed as an agricultural labourer.
In the 1901 Census,Fred was living with his sister
Mary Ann and her family at
49 Strawberry Dale Avenue Harrogate.
Fred was employed as a cab driver/groom.
In 1902 he married Elizabeth Aldis(1879-1980).
They had 7 children; Catherine Aldis(born 28/01/1903),
Joan Ferriss(09/11/1904-1935),
Violet Isabel(born on 11/08/1906),
John Ronald(1909-1915,
Laurinda(04/08/1910-06/06/1995),
Frederick Stanley(14/08/1912-1985) and
James Strathcona( 13/12/1914-1992).
In the 1911 census, the family were recorded as living at
34 Provincial Terrace, Harrogate.
Frederick was still working as a cab driver.
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He enlisted in York and his date of disembarkation into France was on 22/07/1915.
He died of wounds received on 12/02/1917 at 13 Auxiliary Field Ambulance.
He was awarded 3 medals; the 1914-1915 Star,the British war medal 1914-1918 and
the Allied victory medal.
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Harrogate Herald – Wednesday 7th March 1917
Driver F Lambert R.F.A., husband of Mrs Lambert of 20a Chatsworth Place Harrogate has been killed in action in France.
Driver Lambert was well known in Harrogate and much sympathy will be felt for Mrs Lambert, who is left with 6 children.
The circumstances of his death are explained in the following letter: -
Dear Mrs Lambert—It is with the greatest of sorrow that I have to inform you that your husband had been killed on active service. He was fetching water for the battery on the 11th February, when he was hit in the head by a piece of a shell. He was rendered unconscious and at once removed to a field ambulance. There he was treated by a brain specialist but died next morning at
4 o’clock. We made him a coffin and brought him back to our waggon line. The coffin was covered with a Union Jack. He was buried in a cemetery about twenty yards from the waggon line by the Artillery Chaplain at 2 o’clock this afternoon (Feb 13th.).
The battery was present at his funeral. A cross is being made for him and it will be placed at the head of his grave. He is quite near to us about eight miles behind the line, and I can assure you that his grave will be kept in good order. I am sending with this letter a few of his personal belongings. The remainder of his belongings will be forwarded through the usual channels. I knew
him very well and I can realise that he was a very good husband and a splendid father. I know nothing I can say can in any way lessen the awful blow you suffered. I can only hope that God will comfort you and your children in your great loss. If there is anything, I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask. I shall be only too pleased to do it for his sake.
Please accept my sincere sympathy of myself and all his battery.
Yours very sincerely, W.S. Oaten Lt, R.F.A.
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His wife Elizabeth, was awarded a pension of 33/- 9d a week from 28/08/1917.
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