Albert Edward Lambert was born on 13 March 1897 in Hoxton, London, a son of William and Emma Lambert.
On 31 March 1897 he was baptised at St Clement's Church, Lever Street, Islington, London, where in the baptismal register his father was shown as a labourer. His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1897 in the Shoreditch Registration District, London
In the 1911 census he was shown as aged 14 years and schoolboy living in a four roomed property at 79 Philip Lane, Tottenham, Middlesex (now Greater London), the home of his brother-in-law, Henry Charles Calver - a general printer's compositor, his sister, Emily Calver née Lambert and their daughter Alice May Calver aged 3 years. Also residing there was an elder brother, William Lambert, aged 33 years and a publisher's warehouseman.
He joined the Royal Navy on 4 July 1912 as a Boy II and was promoted to Boy I on 7 January 1913. On 13 March 1915, his 18th birthday, he signed up for 15 years and was rated as an Ordinary Seaman. He was made an Able Seaman on 24 April 1916. His service number at the time was D/J18775. He served on a number of ships and was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
When the 1921 census was undertaken on 12 June 1924 he was shown as aged 24 years and 3 months, a single man and an Able Seaman serving aboard HMS Sirdar, a destroyer that was in dock at Malta.
On 17 January 1924 he paid £24 to be granted his early discharge by purchase from the Royal Navy. He was placed in the Royal Fleet Reserve, service number C/JX170465.
On 24 July 1926 he married Beatrice Mary Hodgson (1901-1994) in St Mark's Church, Dalston, Middlesex (now Greater London). He is shown in the marriage register as aged 29 years, a bachelor and a cable winder living at 97 Greenwood Road, Dalston, the son of William Lambert, a decorator, whilst his wife was described as aged 25 years and a spinster residing at 172 Stoke Newington Road, Dalston, the daughter of Frederick William Hodgson, a billiard marker. They had one daughter.
In September 1931 he was appointed as a porter in the London Postal Service (West). The Electoral Registers show that he and his wife were living at 12 Bertram Road, Enfield, Middlesex during the years 1937-1939.
The photo on which Albert Edward Lambert is highlighted was taken on 19 August 1939 at the wedding of his wife's sister at St Mark's Church, Dalston. His wife is the lady, 2nd on the left in the front row.
With the outbreak of the Second World War he was recalled and on 15 November 1942 he was serving aboard H.M.S. Avenger, an Escort Carrier escorting Convoy MKF-1Y from Gibraltar to the River Clyde, Scotland. At 04.14 hours it was hit by one torpedo from the German submarine U-155, about 120 miles west of Gibraltar. The torpedo ignited the bomb load and blew out the centre of the ship which sank in two minutes. Of the 526 officers and men on board there were only 12 survivors. He died, aged 45 years and as his body was never recovered he is commemorated on Panel 55.1 of the Chatham Naval Memorial, Great Lines, Gillingham, ME7 5DQ.
Probate records confirm that his address had been 12 Bertram Road, Enfield and that when letters of administration were granted to his widow on 23 February 1943 his estate totalled £238-3s-0d. On 19 March 1943 Royal Mail sent £180-13s-5d to his widow as his gratuity for his service as mail porter at the Western District in the London Postal Region.
He is shown as 'LAMBERT A.E.' on the Western Postal District war memorial at Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on page 150 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1939-1949.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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