Greene, Lambert Robert
699 Sergeant Lambert Robert Greene - 44th Battalion AIF
Lambert was born in 1878 in Mortlake Surrey England to Robert and Mary Greene, and had two sisters, Louisa 1874 and Johanna 1880.
The 1891 English census showed Lambert living at Binfield Berkshire England. He had been educated in Berkshire and when he was 18 years old he signed up for the Army. On the 23rd January 1895 Percy joined the Warwickshire Regiment and served with them in South Africa and India. In all Lambert spent 14 and a half years with the British Army.
In 1904 he married in India to Annie Elizabeth Caldwell. In 1912 they moved to Western Australia and took up residence at 18 Swan Street North Fremantle. A daughter Hanoria was born in 1912; followed by Robert born in 1914. Sadly Robert died shortly after birth in 1914.
Lambert was now working locally as a musician. However the Great War intervened and given his previous military experience, Lambert had no hesitation in joining the Australian Forces.
On the 9th December 1914 Lambert joined the Australian Imperial Force and was passed as fit for service. The medical examiner recorded Lambert's physical attributes as;
Height - 5 feet 8 & 1/2 inches tall;
Weight - 154lbs;
Chest Measurement - 34-37 icnhes;
Complexion - Dark;
Eyes - Brown;
Hair - Dark;
Distinctive Marks - Tattoos of star and dragon butterfly on right arm and eagle dragon and star on left arm.
After his successful enlistment lambert was sent to Guildford Camp where he was attached to the Headquarters of the 10th Light Horse Regiment and given the Regimental No.9. He trained with the 10th Light Horse at Guildford and was promoted to Sergeant and Trumpeter but on the 27th January 1915 just prior to the 10th Light Horse embarking overseas, Lambert was discharged at his own request. The reason given that the 10th Light Horse did not have a regimental band.
He then returned home to Swan Street North Fremantle, and two more children were born into the family, Maurice and Anna, both in 1916. They then moved to John Street North Fremantle.
On the 26th May 1916 Lambert enlisted for the second time and was once again accepted for service. He was assigned to "D" Company of the 44th Battalion AIF who were then training at Claremont Camp.
On the 6th June 1916 the 44th Battalion boarded the HMAT Suevic in Fremantle Harbour and set sail for England, reaching Plymouth on the 21st July 1916. After being disembarked the men were sent to the 3rd Division Training ground at Salisbury Plains. They would train here over the next several months, during which time they were also given leave to see the sights of England. During this time Lambert was promoted to Acting Sergeant in July and in October this rank was confirmed.
The 44th Battalion left England on the 25th November 1916 and they arrived at Southampton and boarded a transport ship which took them across to France. They then took up their first position on the Western Front in the Armentieres sector. Lambert had a few months in this sector with the 44th Battalion as they became accustomed to life on the Western Front.
In late March 1917 the 44th Battalion, as part of the 3rd Division, were transferred north to Belgium where they took up positions in the Ploegsteert sector.
The 3rd Division would soon be involved in the planned assault at Messines which was scheduled for June 6th 1917. However there was much preparation to be done before the attack could proceed and the 3rd Division undertook many trench raids on the German units opposite them. The 44th battalion conducted a raid on German trenches near Ploegsteert on the 4th June 1917, and Lambert came through unscathed.
On June 6th 1917 the Messines offensive commenced with the 44th Battalion seeing action in the successful operation. Lambert came through safely and continued to serve with his unit.
On the 31st July 1917 the 44th Battalion took part in operations around the village of Warneton and remained in the Messines sector through August 1917.
While at Messines, a fellow member of the 44th Battalion Band and fellow Fremantle resident, Theo Ferguson had been killed. Lambert wrote to Theo's parents.
“Dear Mr Ferguson, I have intended to write from day to day, but kept putting it off, trying to inform you how your son Theo was getting on. As his chum and bandmaster I have had more opportunities of studying him than anyone else, and although I am not exactly what may be termed a Christian I think I know what qualities are required to be one, and I believe that in thought, word and deed, Theo was one. Well Mr Ferguson, I’m stuck, and here’s the truth. Theo was killed on Sunday evening, the 24th June. He with his company went out to occupy a position in front of our then existing front line, they succeeded, bombing out the Huns, and digging themselves in, forming a trench from shell hole to shell hole. Then a shell came, and Theo received his call, instantaneous I believe…He was well liked by all he came in contact with. He had no fear of death or anything else, and always did his duty cheerfully, and helped others in any way he could. I am enclosing a typed slip informing him that he had been previously awarded the Military Medal in Messines, and I should like to add that he won it more than once by his devotion to duty and zeal in carrying out any order entrusted to him. Our band wishes me to express to Theo’s father and mother, their sincere sympathy and to state that we have not only lost a valuable member but also a true friend to all of us.”
The 44th Battalion moved up to Ypres in Belgium in September 1917. He subsequently served through the Third Battle of Ypres from September to November 1917 seeing action at Zonnebeke, Broodseinde Ridge and Passchendaele.
From December 1917 to March 1918 the 44th Battalion held the line in Belgium south east of Ypres from Hollebeke to Messines.
As a result of the German offensive on March 21st 1918 which broke through the British front line further south, the Australian Divisions were sent to the Somme to help stop the German advance. The 44th Battalion were sent to an area near the Somme River at Sailly-le-Sec and Sailly Laurette. The 44th Battalion advanced till they met the Germans in the field near Sailly Laurette and though the German fire stopped the 44th from advancing, the Germans were also stopped. A few days after this on April 4th 1918, Lambert was wounded when shrapnel hit him in the head. Fortunately it was not a severe wound but he was still evacuated to hospital. However he returned to the 44th Battalion on the 2nd May 1918.
The 44th Battalion were in the Somme and Villers-Bretonneux sector for the next few months. On the 4th July 1918 the 44th Battalion took part in the successful capture of Hamel village. Lambert came through this action unscathed.
On the 8th August 1918 the 44th Battalion took part in the successful advance from the Villers-Bretonneux front and they took their objectives. The 44th Battalion advanced continually for the next several weeks, seeing action around Bray, Clery and Peronne. By the 29th September 1918 the 44th Battalion were at the Hindenburg Line defences. The 44th Battalion was involved in the attack for the next few days but again Lambert came through safely.
The 44th battalion were then withdrawn for a rest period and they were still out of the line when the Armistice was announced on the 11th November 1918. On the 16th November 1918 Lambert was given a two week furlough to the UK, return to his unit on the 3rd December 1918.
After the Armistice, once the Germans had withdrawn to behind their own borders, the Australian units were sent into what had been German occupied parts of Belgium and France.
On the 4th April 1919 Lambert was given a two week furlough, returning to his unit in France on the 19th April 1919. He only spent a few more days with the 44th battalion as on the 21st April he was sent to the AIF Depot camp at Le Havre. He returned to England the following day.
Lambert was sent to No.3 Group Camp at Codford and spent a month here before being transferred to Sutton Veny Camp. He was due to return home but Lambert request a period on Non Military Employment while in England. He was accepted by the Royal Academy of Music at York Gate Marylebone Road London. He studied here from the 23rd May 1919 to 3rd October 1919.
On the 6th October 1919 Lambert boarded the New Zealand transport ship Pakeha and set sail for home, reaching Fremantle on the 16th November 1919. Lambert was then discharged from the AIF on the 8th January 1920.
During his absence at the war his wife Annie had moved to the Corner of Harvest and Bay Road North Fremantle. They then moved to 15 Herbert Street North Fremantle.
Sadly Lambert died on the 24th July 1928 aged 49. He had been taken to Perth Hospital suffering from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. This was accepted by the repatriation department to have been caused by his war service. Lambert was buried in Fremantle Cemetery plot Anglican Mon A2 0006.
After his death Annie had moved with the children to 18 Davies Road North Fremantle. (later renamed to Staples Street). Annie died on the 19th January 1939 and was buried in the same grave at Fremantle Cemetery.
Their son Maurice Lambert Greene served in World War Two (WX4511) with the 2/7th Field Regiment. He saw action in the Middle East before being discharged in 1944.
Maurice died in 1997 in Fremantle.