{"id":12765,"date":"2017-02-26T22:55:18","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T03:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.royalmontrealregiment.com\/?p=12765"},"modified":"2017-02-26T22:55:18","modified_gmt":"2017-02-27T03:55:18","slug":"sgt-lambourne-architect-of-the-rmrs-sacred-soil","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/sgt-lambourne-architect-of-the-rmrs-sacred-soil\/","title":{"rendered":"Sgt Lambourne: Architect of the RMR's "Sacred Soil""},"content":{"rendered":"

Westmount, Quebec – 26 February 2017: The RMR Foundation recently learned who was responsible for establishing Nine Elms cemetery, where 80 RMR’s are laid out together in one row, sorted alphabetically and by rank: Sergeant William James Lambourne.<\/p>\n

Captain (retired) Hamilton Slessor, the force behind 2014-15’s\u00a0This Day In RMR History<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, has collaborated with\u00a0Dwayne Johnstone, the grandson of Sergeant Lambourne to produce this detailed summary. \u00a0All RMR’s owe a debt of honour to Sergeant Lambourne, a man who did his duty well.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWilliam James Lambourne was born at Winslow, Buckinghamshire on January 27th<\/sup> 1894 to James Thomas Lambourne and his wife Ellen Ann. William was one of nine children – he had three sisters and five brothers.\u00a0 The family later moved to Bicester in Oxfordshire and after schooling William traveled to Montreal accompanied by his brothers Louis Henry and Ernest Arthur .<\/p>\n

When war broke out in August 1914 while they were in Montreal, William enlisted with the 1st<\/sup> Canadian Grenadier Guards. Almost immediately he was transferred to the 14th<\/sup> Bn. C.E.F. (Royal Montreal Regiment) upon the formation of the 14th<\/sup> Bn. in September 1914.\u00a0 After their brief training at Valcartier, Quebec, he proceeded on October 3rd<\/sup> with the battalion from Quebec to England aboard the S.S. Andania<\/em> as part of the First Canadian Contingent.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Following a long wet winter spent on Salisbury Plain at West Down South, the battalion arrived at St. Nazaire, France on February 15, 1915.<\/p>\n

In February 1916 William was sent on a two week course at the Canadian Division Training School in the field. Following this he was granted an 8 day leave to the UK. which presumably was used to visit family in Bicester.\u00a0\u00a0 While on leave he was promoted to the rank of Corporal effective March 17th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

On June 3rd<\/sup> 1916 William was reported missing but three days later he had rejoined the battalion, and was soon promoted to Lance-Sergeant on June 19th.<\/sup>.\u00a0 In November 1916 he was sent on a Gas Training course, and on December 28th<\/sup> of that year he was promoted to Sergeant.<\/p>\n

During the winter of 1916-17 the 14th<\/sup> Battalion was involved in regular tours of trench duty.\u00a0\u00a0 In the spring of 1917 the Canadian Corps, in conjunction with the British Third Army, were assigned the task of capturing Vimy Ridge which French armies had been unable to re-take from the German Army. \u00a0This ridge of high ground was important to the occupiers because of its commanding view over the surrounding plains.\u00a0 The 14th<\/sup> Battalion\u2019s position in the planned assault was in the centre of the 3rd<\/sup> Brigade of the 1st Canadian Division, flanked on its left by the 16th<\/sup> Bn. Canadian Scottish, and on its right by the 15th<\/sup> Bn. 48th<\/sup> Highlanders.<\/p>\n

The 14th<\/sup> Battalion Special Operation Order No. 132 (Pt II – Administration) of April 4, 1917, was issued in preparation for the Canadian attack on Vimy Ridge which took place on April 9th<\/sup>, 1917.\u00a0 Sergeant William Lambourne was assigned an undoubtedly unpleasant task. The assignment read as follows:-<\/p>\n

\u201c4.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Burial of the Dead and Clearance of the Battlefield<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (a) Owing to a shortage of commissioned Officers existing Sergeant Lambourne is herewith appointed to supervise the burial of our own and German dead and to clear the battlefield.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (b) The area allotted to the 14th<\/sup> Canadian Battalion is from and including ZWOLFER WEG to \u00a0and including EISNER KREUZ WEG across the entire brigade frontage.\u201d [iv]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>
Nine Elms cemetery: The 14th Bn. (RMR) men are buried in Row A, the last row at the back on the left of this photo and marked in red on the map of the cemetery.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the course of the Battle for Vimy Ridge the 14th<\/sup> Battalion suffered heavy casualties – 6 officers killed or fatally wounded, 3 officers wounded, 92 ORs killed and 173 ORs wounded.<\/p>\n

Sergeant Lambourne carried out his assignment in a methodical and exemplary way, with the result that 80 men of the 14th<\/sup> Bn. who had been killed in the operation were gathered into what was initially a regimental burial ground.\u00a0 This later became what is now known as Nine Elms Military Cemetery, Thelus.\u00a0 The Commonwealth War Graves Commission describes the history of this cemetery as follows:<\/p>\n

\u201cThelus is a village in the Pas de Calais, region of France, about 6.5 kilometres north of Arras and 1 kilometre east of the main road from Arras to Lens. The cemetery is on the western side of the main road and about 1.5 kilometres south of the village. \u2018NINE ELMS\u2019 was the name given by the Army to a group of trees 460 metres East of the Arras-Lens main road, between Thelus and Roclincourt.\u00a0 The cemetery was begun, after the capture of Vimy Ridge, by the burial in what is now Plot I, Row A of 80 men of the 14th Canadian Infantry Battalion, who fell on the 9th April 1917.\u201d [ii]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What makes the fulfillment of Sergeant Lambourne\u2019s assigned task unusual was the fact that in gathering and laying out for burial the casualties of the 14th<\/sup> Battalion he laid them out (with a few exceptions) very methodically first by rank, and then alphabetically within rank order.\u00a0 This was reportedly the first and perhaps only time that this has ever occurred in a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery of which there are over 23,000 scattered world-wide.<\/p>\n

Well done, good and faithful soldier!!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sergt. Lambourne\u2019s service sheets show that although he was later sent on a \u201cGas Training\u201d course, and served as a Brigade Gas NCO for a short period there is no indication of any admission to hospital at any time. However, his grandson advises that due to the effects of gassing at Cit\u00e9 St. Pierre, near Lens, in 1917, Sergt. Lambourne\u2019s life was difficult after the war. \u00a0According to the 14th<\/sup> Battalion\u2019s War Diaries, the battalion was in the reserve position at Cit\u00e9 St. Pierre a suburb of North Western Lens when on September 21, 1917 between the hours of 12:30am – 04:15 the battalion was gassed with Mustard and Phosgene gas, amassing approximately 60 casualties of all ranks.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

In November of 1917 Sergeant Lambourne was posted to the Cdn. 3rd<\/sup> Brigade as \u201cGas NCO,\u201d rejoining the 14th<\/sup> Bn. six weeks later.\u00a0 He remained with the RMR until May 31st<\/sup> 1919 when he received his discharge at Whitley in England, following which he returned to Bicester, his family home.\u00a0 He soon found employment as a coach painter with Legge\u2019s Coach Works, at Chiswick.\u00a0 It was there he invented the current day spray paint gun; however, he was unable to obtain a patent for this invention.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
William James Lambourne is buried in the churchyard of St Edburg’s Church, Bicester<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

William married Grace Cockman in 1929 in Brentford, Middlesex, and moved to London where they raised 4 daughters. William acted as a lay minister at St Paul\u2019s Church in Hounslow, a suburb of London.<\/p>\n

William James Lambourne passed away on Dec 6th 1938 and is buried at St Edburg\u2019s Church Cemetery in Bicester, Oxfordshire<\/p>\n

Of the three Lambourne brothers who had travelled to Montreal before the War, the eldest, Louis Henry Lambourne, apparently did not enlist with the Canadian Army and died at Montreal in November 1973.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>However, one year after William enlisted his younger brother Ernest Arthur Lambourne enlisted at Montreal on September 20, 1915, with the 87th<\/sup> Bn. C.E.F. Canadian Grenadier Guards for service overseas and was assigned service no. 177016.\u00a0 Ernest later attained the rank of Sergeant and was killed in action on June 4, 1917 while serving with the 4th<\/sup> Canadian Division Machine Gun Company.\u00a0 He was awarded posthumously the Military Medal for his bravery in the field and was buried in Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, Grave Ref.: II. E. 2.<\/p>\n

[1] \u00a0\u00a0Dwayne Johnstone, Ancaster, Ontario\n\n[2]\u00a0 \u00a0Ibid\n\n[3]\u00a0 \u00a014th<\/sup> Bn. C.E.F., Part II Orders, April 1917.\u00a0 http:\/\/data2.collectionscanada.ca\/e\/e044\/e001090624.jpg<\/a> \u00a0\n\n[4]\u00a0\u00a0 Commonwealth War Graves Commission.\u00a0 \u00a0http:\/\/www.cwgc.org\/find-a-cemetery\/cemetery\/30201\/NINE%20ELMS%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY,%20THELUS<\/a>\n\n[5]\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ibid\n\n[6]\u00a0\u00a0 Ibid\n\n[7]\u00a0 14th<\/sup> Bn. C.E.R. War Diary September 1917.\u00a0 http:\/\/data2.collectionscanada.ca\/e\/e044\/e001090792.jpg<\/a>\u00a0\n\n[8]\u00a0 McMaster University, William Ready Division Archives & Research Collection,\u00a0World War 1 Trench Maps,[Lens] 36c.SW, June\u00a0\u00a0 26, 1917\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 http:\/\/digitalarchive.mcmaster.ca\/islandora\/object\/macrepo%3A4161\/-\/collection<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n[9] \u00a0\u00a0Dwayne Johnstone, Ancaster, Ontario<\/pre>\n
 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Westmount, Quebec – 26 February 2017: The RMR Foundation recently learned who was responsible for establishing Nine Elms cemetery, where 80 RMR’s are laid out together in one row, sorted<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-history","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12765","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12765"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12765\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12765"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12765"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmrmuseum.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12765"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}