Horace LAMBLEY – A Forgotten Victim of War

HORACE LAMBLEY: –  It is not known why Horace Lambley came to Kalgoorlie and was buried here in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, alone, and a long way from his family.  His life after the war was a sad one and is a testament to possible mental problems arising from his service, as was the case for many men.

The family should all have the greatest pride in the deeds of Mary Jane Lambley’s illegitimate son, Horace.  Horace Lambley enlisted in the 7^th Light Horse on 16 November 1914 in Sydney. He was 34 years and 5 months old at this time. He was 5 feet 9½ inches tall and weighed 154 pounds. His complexion was ruddy brown with brown eyes. Hair was dark brown. His calling was listed as “labourer”.  Horace embarked on the HMT Lutzow on 19 December 1914, proceeding to join the Gallipoli Force. After signing his attestation papers at Abassia in Egypt on 2 April 1915, he was drafted to “B” Squadron ANZAC Force on 22 April at Maadi. He became sick at Gallipoli and was shipped to the Military Hospital at Lewisham in England on 1 September 1915.  He rejoined his unit on 15 January 1916 in Egypt.

Horace LAMBLEY – Image Canberra War Museum

Regt. No. 605 Private Horace Lambley, 7th Light Horse

He was redrafted to Tekebir in Turkey on 26 March 1916. The next move was to Alexandria to join the HMT Oriana on its run to Marseilles, in France, to join the British Expeditionary Force on the Western Front. Horace was assigned as a wagon driver carrying loads of artillery shells forward to the batteries. After several episodes of Trench Feet and influenza, he was hospitalised at Etreat on 18 December 1916, and on-shipped by the Glenart Castle from Le Havre for admission to the General Hospital in Bristol, England on 6 January 1917. There were many similar casualties as a result of this bitter winter on the Western Front. He was discharged from the hospital on 18 January 1917, and allowed furlough until 2 February, when he reported to Perham Downs Military Establishment for reassignment on 31 March 1917 to the Front at Etaples, France. On 12 August 1917, he returned to England for leave until 24 August.

His records make no further mention of him during some of the bloodiest campaigns that took place over the next 12 months in France as the Great War drew to a close. On 12 October 1918, Horace returned to Southampton on 23 October 1918, for transhipping to Australia on the Troop Ship “D30”. He was discharged in Sydney on 29 March 1919. Horace had been away from Australia on War Service for just over 4 years. He was now nearly 39 years old. Many ANZACs experienced the horrors of Gallipoli in addition to those of the Western Front. As a Commonwealth serviceman, Horace earned the 1914/15 Star (No. 14595), the British War Medal (No. 8009), and the Victory Medal (No. 7811). Horace Lambley never married. He moved from New South Wales to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, where he died and was buried in the Anglican Section on 17 January 1961, aged 80 years. (Grave 12533, Block 221, Plot 20).

Horace Lambley – Ancestry.com

One can only imagine the effect the war had on him. However, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs claim that he never registered with them. Maybe he had a lifelong contempt for things Government after his return, and his pride probably encouraged him to tell them to “get lost” in no uncertain terms. Oral history tells that Horace would often visit his uncles and became “a bit of a pest”, that he was always broke, he drank, and he was always seeking lengthy comfort and care. However, I do remember as a child that my Pop Theo and nan Mabel received letters from him from time to time. These long letters were always read to the whole family. I gathered from this and from things said that Theo and Mabel had quite a soft spot for our Horace, and quite possibly that he was very lonely. He was, after all, the same age as Theo, and it is suspected that they were raised as brothers rather than nephew and uncle. It is odd that the subsequent generation attributed a stigma to him. Whether it was because he was an illegitimate or a serviceman, or that his war stress resulted in him having a drinking problem, we may never find out. Whatever it was, it could be nothing less than a contemptible attitude.

Ref:   WW1 Personnel Records Service, Canberra 20 July 1998

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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