LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Jack LAMBERT
Service No: 421229
Born: Paddington NSW, 25 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 7 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Oakington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 7 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JA964), Germany, 22 March 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Victor and Vera Evelyn Lambert, of Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1858 hours on the night of 22 March 1944 Lancaster JA964 took off from Oakington to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Post war enquiries established that the aircraft had been shot down and four of the crew members had been killed and three were Prisoners of War.
The crew members of JA964 were:
Sergeant Albert Edward Bullivant (1805873) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Gordon Eben Hamilton (424979) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Kenneth Hinde (413382) (Pilot) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 28 October 1948
Flight Sergeant Jack Lambert (421229) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Albert Ivon Love (1815027) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Harry Stevenson McMaster (422659) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 2 November 1945
Flying Officer John Henry Wyborn (124519) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
In a 1945 statement the then Flight Lieutenant Hinde reported “The aircraft was attacked 10 minutes before the target, causing momentary loss of control. I gave the order ‘prepare to abandon’. I then found I could still control the aircraft with the trim control. There was a second attack 2 minutes later which set the port inner on fire and burst and fired the fuel pipes. I ordered abandon the aircraft. There was no verbal response but lots of action. To the best of my knowledge everyone left intact with the aircraft completely enveloped in flames and out of control. I left at approx 16,000 feet. The aircraft crashed in a line half way between Frankfurt and Saarbrucken. I was later informed that Love and McMaster were POW. but have no information regarding the rest. About half an hour before dusk I left my place of concealment and I thought I recognized the Rear Gunner walking alongbut a German officer with gun and dog got in the way. Released by the Russians”
The then Flying Officer McMaster reported “After first attack order given to put on chutes. Acknowledge by all. After second attack bale out ordered Not acknowledged. Engineer went out before me. I baled out at 19,000 feet. Aircraft not in control all controls useless plus fire in port engine. Pilot, Nav, WOP and 2 gunners still in Aircraft when I left. Aircraft crashed 10 miles
east of Jaoberstein and east of Trier. Landed in the main street of avillage and captured immediately. Released by Russians in May 1945.”
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/403