Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Named in his father’s (Leslie Samuel) honour, Leslie Charles was born in Bowen Vale, Victoria on the 2nd December 1916. The family eventually moved to live in Veitch near Loxton on the Murray River, known for its experimental farming. Les’ brothers included Trenneth Samuel and Reginald Hampton.
Les Snr, a farmer, served in WWI as Number 513, spending time in France where he received a gunshot wound to his right leg before later contracted bronchial asthma. He was hospitalised in England before returning to Australia to be discharged. It therefore was not unexpected that with the outbreak of WWII on the 20th July ’40, aged 23, Les Jnr and 21 year old Trenneth both enlisted. They travelled to Adelaide with Tren being allocated the number SX9381 and becoming a Private in the 2/25th Infantry Battalion and Les allocated SX9394 with the 2/48th Battalion. (Their younger brother, Reg later also enlisted just prior to his 20th birthday in February ’42 as SX17308 with the 31st/51st Battalion.)
Les’ initial days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds, before his battalion headed to Woodside for preliminary training. He then was able to return home for a week of pre-embarkation leave in October before his 2/48th contingent then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940, arriving on the 19th December 1940. Once in the Middle East, the recruits completing a few months training in Cyrenaica. From there, they were soon on their way to serve in Tobruk, Syria and Egypt. By the start of April 1941, the 2/48th were in Tobruk where the dust, flies, heat, minimal water supplies and constant bombardment were quite a challenge to new enlistees. Les was to become one of the famed Rats of Tobruk.
Back home with the local farmers meeting at the June ’41 Goldsborough’s Loxton Market, where Les Snr arrived with sheep, talk inevitably turned to the war and the welfare of sons of the farmers. The Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record reported that Les ‘has two sons with the fighting forces overseas. Tren is 22 and his brother Less 24. Tren is in the desert, and Less in Palestine. Mrs. Lambert, a brave woman, said that she received interesting letters from her sons. She added, "My third son Reg wants to join the navy".
The following month a young cousin wrote to ‘Mopoke’ in the children’s pages of the same publication explaining “My hobbies are fancy work and knitting for the soldiers. I have three cousins and one uncle at the war. Their names are Tren and Les Lambert from Veitch, and Colin Coombe, from Renmark, and Uncle Reg Coombe from Henley Beach. I am in grade six and I am thirteen years old. My birthday is 11 July 14. I am enclosing my twopence for my badge. I remain, yours truly, Lyrup. —DOROTHY BROWN. (A hearty welcome, Dorothy. Your cousin from Renmark was one of the district's leading footballers before he enlisted, was he not? Cheerio.—"Mopoke.")
As the war progressed, newspapers back home of death and injuries. The November ‘42 issue of the Chronicle carried the names of soldiers from Les’s battalion either killed in action or who died of their wounds. They included SX10571 William Barnett, SX8468 Pte. Patrick H. Hoare, SX13570 Pte. Charles Holman, SX7771 Pte. Henry O. Lohmann, SX6848 Cpt. Alfred F. Meyer, SX3149 Col. Arthur. H. Peters, SX11768 Pte. John R. Smith, SX13535 Pte. Allan L. Thessinger, SX13162 Pte. Thomas B. Cosgrave and SX7917 Pte. Leslie A. King. Les was one of 26 from his battalion who were listed as being wounded in action. The 2/48th had paid a high price for their success.
The news was also carried in the local paper that ‘Mr. and Mrs. L. S. Lambert, of Veitch, have been notified that their eldest son. Pte. L. C. Lambert, has been wounded in action in Egypt. Pte. Lambert enlisted in June 1940 and left for overseas in February 1941. He saw service in Libya and was in Tobruk. He was later transferred to Palestine and Syria, and then to Egypt.’
Les was eventually able to return home in ’43 before finally being discharged in February ’44. His brothers Tren being discharged in June the following year and Reg in May ‘46. Later that year in September, Les was having a drink with two other ex-servicemen, Charles Kerr and Ken Waugh at the Lord Raglan Hotel, which at the time was at the corner of Waymouth and Eliza streets. The Advertiser reported that ‘three licensing police were attracted to an open window of a room at the hotel by the sound of voices and the jiggling of money. Loughhead was lifted up to the window and he saw men sitting in a circle. Fahey, Kerr and Lambert, in turn, each tossed three threepenny pieces from a glass and made bets on whether the results would be 'heads' or 'tails.' They were each fined £3. with 10/ costs but granted a certificate that the offence was trifling.’ Army habits were well ingrained.
Les and his wife, Alice eventually moved to live at West Fopanyinning in the wheatbelt area of Western Australia, driving a truck across the Nullarbor to reach their farm and begin a new life. They were fortunate that Les, besides being a good farmer, was also an astute businessman who took out insurance on his crop. This proved invaluable in ’47 when October rains were also accompanied by hail, delivering quite considerable damage to crops in the area. Other farmers sustained heavy losses. Their first child, a son was born in the town and the family soon became a valuable part of the local sporting community. Les playing for Pingelly in both football and cricket for many years, in the latter being a respected bowler. He was selected for the Country Week cricket, with the local paper commenting the ‘he would have done well with the ball and would be quite an asset to our side.’ He was also regularly mentioned as being an outstanding, reliable player in the football team.
In a cruel blow to Alice and Les, their precious first-born son, Barry Lesley died on the 21st November ’49. The supportive community expressed their sympathy through the local Pingelly-Brookton Leader. ‘PUMPHREY'S Residents of the district learned with profound regret of the passing at Narrogin Hospital on Monday morning of this week of Barry, infant son of Mr. and Mrs. Les. Lambert. The child had been indisposed for a short time only and death was unexpected. The sympathy of all residents will be extended to Mr and Mrs. Lambert on their great loss.’ The following month a thoughtful obituary was also published. ‘The passing of little Barry Lambert, the infant and only child of Mr. and Mrs. Les. Lambert of West Popanyinnmg, aged nine months, cast quite a gloom over the district and our sympathy if extended to Mr, said Mrs. Lambert in this time of sorrow. The funeral took place in Narrogin and the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Lambert were present to pay their last respects. The little chap was laid to rest in the Anglican portion of the cemetery.’
By the end of ’51 Les and Alice again crossed the Nullarbor, this time with friends, to have an extended holiday and visit family still in South Australia. They were able to return to Western Australia and build a productive life, being blessed with the arrival of two young sons.
Les died on his birthday, the 2nd December 1991 leaving a wife, Alice and two sons, Kevin and Ross. A tribute to his war service is in the Anglican section of the Narrogin Cemetery ZD.2 where his first-born young son also rests.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.