Colonel-Commandant Thomas Stanton Lambert, C.B., C.M.G


Lambert back row left, at Mullingar 1891		Lambert in 1914

Born son of the Rev. R U Lambert, Vicar of Christ Church, Bradford-on-Avon.

1890/91 RMA Sandhurst

1891 Jun 17. He was commissioned in the East Lancashire Regiment and later served in India

1914 Aug. When the war broke out he was DAAG at the War Office with the rank of major.

1914 Sep. He assumed command of the 1st Battalion East Lancashire Regiment after its CO had been killed on the Aisne. Lambert was himself wounded a fortnight later. The wound was severe, causing him to lose the use of his right lung.

1915 Mar. Following his recovery he was successively DAAG 37th Division, CO 2nd Battalion East Lancashire Regiment, and acting AAG at GHQ.

1916 Mar 8. he was promoted GOC 69th Brigade, 23rd Division. He commanded this formation during the capture of Contalmaison (July 1916) and the actions at Le Sars (October 1916), Hill 60, Menin Road (September 1917) and Polygon Wood (September-October 1917). He also commanded the brigade in Italy during the winter of 1917-18

1918 May 31 He was recalled to the Western Front to command 32nd Division in succession to Major-General R J Bridgford. 32nd Division achieved its best attacking results under Lambert’s command, spearheading Fourth Army’s attacks alongside the Australians between August and October 1918. It was Lambert who informed Field-Marshal Haig of mounting German resistance at Amiens, intelligence that persuaded Haig to refuse Foch’s order to continue the offensive and to switch the axis of advance to Byng’s Third Army on the Scarpe.

1921 Jun 20. Killed in an IRA ambush. Died. Aged 50. Son of Rev. R.U. Lambert, husband of Geraldine Rachel Lambert.

Local I.R.A. volunteers knew that Lambert was in the habit of going to a house called Midges near Coosan to play tennis. A family called "Metge" was living at Killinure South in 1911 census and by a process of elimination were living at Killinure House. I it would appear that it was they whom he was known to visit. The IRA set up an ambush to kidnap Lambert, hold him hostage, and use him to barter with the British forces for the captured Longford I.R.A. leader, Seán MacEoin.

Dublin Castle issued the following on Tuesday night:- “Colonel Commandant Lambert, commanding the 13th Brigade.” Athlone, was seriously wounded at 7:30 o’clock on Monday night at Moydrum when returning from a tennis party in a motor car. Mrs. Challoner, wife of Colonel Challoner, who was also in the car with him, was wounded in the face by gunshot pellets. Colonel-Challenor and Mrs. Lambert , wife of Colonel-Commandant Lambert, who were also in the car, were uninjured. It appears the occupants of the car were called upon to halt by six armed civilians.“The driver of the car accelerated his speed. Fire was opened upon the occupants and Colonel-Commandant Lambert received a gunshot wound in the neck. He died of his wound at 9 o’clock on Monday night.

Killinure House and Harmony Hall

The Lamberts had been visiting Killinure House and they were returning to Athlone. His wife may have been driving when they where ambushed
They would have driven past a large house called Harmony Hall on their left when they were ambushed
Col Lambert, his friend Colonel Challenor and their wives were travelling by car from Killinure where they had played tennis, back to Athlone.
Mrs Lambert was driving, Mrs Challenor was to her left in front. In the back Col Lambert was on the right, Kate Elsie Arthur (Challenors niece) in the middle, and Col Challenor on the left
The IRA ambush was led by Captain Elliott of the Tubberclair Volunteers.
4 or 5 armed men called on the Lambert's car to stop near Harmony Hall gate lodge on the Harmony Hall gates side of the road. They fired one shot at the car, but the car drove on


Harmony Hall Lodge, to Lamberts right	Harmony Hall Gates, to Lamberts left	The view the Lamberts would have had

There was no roadblock (Elliott had failed to put anything like a cart in the road to block it). Mrs Lambert accelerated to try and break the ambush.
But another group of 6 or 7 IRA men 20 yards further on, and on the same side of the road, fired a number of shots at them. The ambushers weapons were a mixture of rifles, revolvers and shotguns.
The car did get through the ambush, but Lambert and Mrs. Challenor (shotgun pellets in the face) had been badly wounded. Mrs Lambert drove at speed to Athlone Hospital where Col Lambert died of his injuries at 9pm that evening.
The ambushers immediately left the scene.
The men who were in the armed attack were seen crossing the fields towards Lough Ree, by which, it is believed, they escaped in boats to the Connaught shore.

Later that night there was a reprisal by the British. Believing that the men had come from there, 15 houses in the village of Knockcroghery, near Roscommon, were burned out by 12 or 13 armed and masked men, who arrived in three motor cars. It is stated that only three houses those of John Murray, Widow Murray, and Murtagh’s escaped destruction. About 1 a.m. a party of disguised men arrived in the town, and without giving the occupants of the houses an opportunity of dressing or removing any of their property, proceeded to burn the buildings. During the operations there were constant fusillades of rifle and revolver firing. The terrified people rushed out of their houses and escaped to the fields. Children and aged person were taken into the Presbytery, an attempt to fire it having failed, and also into the Rectory by Rev. Mr. Humpherey, where they were kindly treated. The village presents a shocking appearance, being a mass of smoldering ruins, with the farmer occupants homeless and destitute.

“About 15 houses at Knockcroghery village were burned down.” Says the Dublin Castle report, “by a party of 12 or 13 masked men in civilian clothes, who arrived about 1 a.m. from the Athlone direction.”

Buried at Brookwood Military Cemetery. "Thomas Stanton Lambert, C.B., C.M.G. Colonel Commandant in command of 69th Brigade and 31st Division in Ireland. R.M.C. 1890-91.

1921 Jun 21. Court of Inquiry

1921 Sep 1. Probate show that he was an extraordinarily rich man

British soldiers died in Ireland