LAMBERTON, William James
| Service Number: | 908 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 January 1916, 3 years Citizens Militia Rifles |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 41st Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Euroa, Victoria, Australia, July 1879 |
| Home Town: | Ettrick, Kyogle, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 14 October 1960, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld Anzac Portion 9 |
| Memorials: | Ettrick WWI Honor Roll, Euroa Telegraph Park, Kyogle Great War Honor Roll, Kyogle Shire Council Honour Roll WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Jan 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 908, 41st Infantry Battalion, 3 years Citizens Militia Rifles | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1916: | Involvement Private, 908, 41st Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Demosthenes embarkation_ship_number: A64 public_note: '' | |
| 18 May 1916: | Embarked Private, 908, 41st Infantry Battalion, HMAT Demosthenes, Sydney | |
| 20 Aug 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 908, 41st Infantry Battalion, 1st MD |
Help us honour William James Lamberton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Evan Evans
From Australian Remembrance Army
Lance Corporal William James Lamberton (Service No. 908), an Australian World War One veteran, is among almost 800 previously unmarked WWI veterans’ graves in Lutwyche Cemetery we have now marked with a plaque in recognition of their service for Australia.
We unveiled his plaque in Lutwyche Cemetery on 20 September 2025, along with a further 161 plaques on the previously unmarked graves of Australian World War One veterans:
See Australian Remembrance Army Facebook page
William James Lamberton was born in 1880 at Euroa, Victoria, the son of Hugh McLean Lamberton and Fanny Lamberton (née Crilly). In 1910, he married Barbara Ann Jolly at Kyogle, New South Wales. Their son, Vivian Lamberton, was born at Casino, NSW, on 26 June 1911.
William enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) at Lismore, NSW, on 5 January 1916, declaring his occupation as farmer and nominating his wife Barbara as next of kin. He embarked for overseas service with the 41st Battalion aboard HMAT Demosthenes from Sydney.
In September 1917, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. The following month, October 1917, he sustained a gunshot wound to the face (right cheek) and was transferred to Hampstead Military Hospital, England, for treatment. He returned to France in March 1918 and rejoined his battalion.
In August 1918, William suffered shrapnel wounds to his leg and hand. By October 1918, these wounds had become septic, and he was admitted to hospital at Boulogne, France. In April 1919, he returned to England in preparation for repatriation and subsequently returned to Australia in July 1919, where he was discharged from the AIF.
Following his military service, William resumed farming at Kyogle, NSW. Between 1930 and 1943, he lived in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales, where he was employed as a livestock inspector. By 1954, he had retired to Tenterfield, NSW.
William and Barbara experienced the loss of their son Vivian, who died on 25 May 1951 at Grafton, NSW.
Lance Corporal William James Lamberton died on 14 October 1960, aged 80, and was buried in Anzac Portion 9, Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane. His wife Barbara died on 5 October 1963 at Tenterfield NSW and was buried in Tenterfield Cemetery.
After decades without recognition at his place of burial, his grave now bears a plaque commemorating his service to Australia — ensuring his name endures among those remembered for their duty and sacrifice. His identity and dignity have now been restored.
We have remembered him.
Lest We Forget.
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