The Eulogy for Squadron Leader Anthony David Lambert

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Title

The Eulogy for Squadron Leader Anthony David Lambert

Description

A biography of Anthony David Lambert. He joined the RAFVR at age 19. He was shot down over the Baltic Sea and was able to swim ashore, where he was captured. He took part in the Long March. After the war he remained in the RAF.

Date

2006-07-14

Language

Format

Three printed sheets

Rights

This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.

Contributor

Identifier

MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-540001, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-540002, MAnkersonR[Ser#-DoB]-180129-540003

Transcription

The Eulogy [deleted] of [/deleted] [inserted] for [/inserted] Sqn. Ldr. ANTHONY DAVID LAMBERT – 6/08/19 – 2/7/06

Delivered by Revd David Witts, Fri. 14 July 2006

We have come together this morning for two reasons: firstly to give thanks for the long, active, and full life of Anthony David Lambert, who was an example to us all; and secondly, to say our final farewells to a beloved husband to Joan a loving father to Robert & Peter, a caring grandfather to Jonathan, Simon & David and Daniel, Claire, Elizabeth & Anna; and to most of us here, a good friend.// When we have lost someone that we have known and loved it is hard to say exactly what we do believe, and the words of Jesus, [italics] "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live," [/italics] are not always taken at face value.

Few moments in our lives leave us more helpless than when we have to say our final goodbye to one we have known and loved, and at such a time we may, like Job, protest our capacity to understand – we may shout to God that we are weak and fragile creatures and subject to unexplainable disease. And God [underlined] will [/underlined] listen. But he will not answer our challenge to explain it all. For as long as we live on this earth our knowledge is imperfect. This is a tender hour – but in no way does it have to be one of tragedy. It is an hour, not only to share our sorrow that someone we have known has left us, but time also to affirm life and love, and the Almighty Source of them both. And also to comprehend more fully the measure of our gratitude to God for the life of Tony for all that he achieved, and all the loving memories that he has left behind.

Anthony David Lambert was born on 6th August 1919 at Harrow, and died peacefully on Sunday, the 2nd July, in Hillingdon Hospital, aged 86. Tony was the youngest son born to his parents, he had an elder brother, John – and was educated at University College School, Hampstead and Brighton Technical College – where he lived in Hove next door to Malcolm Campbell.

Tony was just 19 years old when he joined the RAF VR in December 1938 and flew 'solo' at Prestwick before joining his first Squadron, No.218 Gold Cost [sic] Squadron, at RAF Marham, flying Wellingtons. In the early years of the War, flying the slow, icy cold, poorly equipped aircraft which were all that Bomber Command possessed, his greatest achievement was to survive. Most of the young aircrew with whom the RAF started the war had perished over Germany by 1943. He was lucky, as well as skilful; a natural leader and an intelligent, imaginative flyer. In 1941 he was awarded the DFC, which he received at Buckingham Palace. After his first tour of ops, Tony then spent a time at Marshalls in Cambridge as a flying instructor on Tiger Moths before returning to 218 Sqn. at RAF [underlined] Marham [/underlined] [inserted] X Downham Market [/inserted] for his second flying tour. Tony was then posted as a Flt. Cmdr. to No.620 Sqn, at Chedburgh flying Stirlings and it was on this tour that, in August 1943, he was shot down and [underlined] landed [/underlined] [inserted] x ditched [/inserted] in the Baltic Sea before swimming ashore. Inevitably, in occupied Europe, he was captured and taken to Dulag Luft where he was interrogated by the Nazis – and was then transferred to Stalug Luft III for 20 months where he helped with The Great Escape. Towards the end of the War, when all the POWs were being transferred back into Germany, away from the Russian and Allied advance, he took part in the Long March back through Silesia into Germany where so many POWs perished en-route. Tony was eventually

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repatriated to Blighty and posted to the Central Bomber Establishment at Marham, for the third time – and one evening, even found his tankard in the bushes outside the Mess – what he was doing in the bushes I have no idea! Here he flew Lincolns and Mosquitos but more importantly it was here that Tony was to meet the love of his life, in the form of a young WAAF driver. They were married on the 5th July 1947 – and Joan and Tony would have celebrated 59 years of happy marriage had he lived for another 3 days.

Following a posting to Malta, as C.O. of 38 Sqn. on Lancasters (with boats slung underneath) their eldest son, Robert was born in 1948; and Peter arrived in 1950 in Benghazi – where Tony was then the Station Commander for 2 years at RAF Benina in Libya, and where he had his own Proctor a/c to get around the Med. Such days have long gone! The family was now complete and after a year at the Air Ministry in London Tony was posted to his last tour in the RAF as Chief Ground Instructor, or C.G.I., at Driffield & Swinderby flying Vampires and Meatboxes (Meteors). In April 1956 Tony retired from the Royal Air Force at his own request to join his father's business in Uxbridge: Lambert's Caramel Manufacturer which was subsequently bought out by Hay. He went on to work for Tunnel Refineries, manufacturing glucose sugar for brewers countrywide – and continued working until he was 70!

But, of course, that only describes a small part of what Tony achieved in his life. He was an honorary Mess Member at RAF Uxbridge for over 30 years – and rarely missed a Dining-in-Night or social occasion. He was also a member of the Royal British Legion at Denham and the Aircrew Association at Uxbridge. He enjoyed swimming, photography and golf. Indeed, he was Captain at Hillingdon Golf Club in 1970 – and at one time belonged to 4 golf clubs: Hillingdon, Sandy Lodge, Selsey and Bognor – for Tony & Joan spent many a happy weekend in a caravan, and then a cottage, at Bracklesham near their sons and their families, who lived in Bognor Regis and Chichester. So it would, indeed, be wrong of me not to mention the sport that many of us enjoy and never really master – and if Tony was somewhat of a bandit at golf at times – then I am sure that he was in good company with many of us – and if the next world is all that it is made out to be, I hope he is now playing on lush fairways and perfect greens, with his fair share of holes-in-one! And the fact that he was held in such high regard, by all the clubs and associations that he belonged to, is the fact that they are all represented here today.

Then in 1999 Tony had a road traffic accident that literally knocked him sideways. Both Tony and Joan were quite badly injured – and I remember visiting them in their different hospitals. Joan recovered much sooner and better than Tony, who was more seriously injured, for he spent 3 months in hospital and, to be honest, it really knocked the stuffing out him and slowed him down considerably. But then Joan became his rock – and really showed her devotion to him for the remainder of his days, until he slipped peacefully from this life on the 2nd July.

So I know that Tony will be remembered for many things and by many people. Indeed, he was always good company and was a real English gentleman of the old school; he had many interests in his full and active life and I know that he was grateful for his family, his friends, and all that he had achieved and experienced. What is more, I know that Tony will be sorely and sadly missed by all of us who knew him –

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and especially by his loving and devoted wife and family. But, I also believe that Tony's death is not the end of his story, but only a new beginning, and that he now knows God's glory face-to-face. Let us remember that St. Chrysostom, one of the very early fathers of the Christian Church, said [italics] 'Weep at the death of a dear one as if you are bidding farewell to one setting out on a journey.' [/italics] For, of course, the journey for thos who believe in God, does have an ending. There will be an awakening./ The promises of Jesus assure us of it/. In the light of this hope we remember with thanksgiving the life of Tony, and all that he meant to each one of us. In this life, we do not know all the answers and, because of that, we can only trust in Him who does. That day has now come for Tony and, although we are sad at having to say our farewells, we should also be joyful, both for his days with us, and for his final and peaceful rest now, in the loving arms of God.

I know that you will each have your own private memories of Tony. Remember the good times, cherish them, and gently wrap them up and let them mature and become one of your own life's treasures./ For where we are remembered then we never really die. We are caught up in the life of each other and, even more, we are caught up in the eternal purposes of God. In the love of Christ we will not find the answers to all our questions but we will be carried, as on a wave of love, through the turmoil of our doubts and fears to land safely on the shore of ultimate understanding, as Tony has now landed.

AMEN.

Citation

“The Eulogy for Squadron Leader Anthony David Lambert,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed November 7, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/40500.

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