4/511 Lieutenant Joseph Lamb, 19/6/1892-20/6/1916.

 LIEUTENANT JOSEPH LAMB. 

Private advice has been received of the death on Tuesday, the 20th inst., from wounds sustained in France of Lieutenant Joseph Lamb, of the New Zealand Brigade Signalling Company, who left with the main body in August, 1914. The deceased, who was aged 24, was a native of Stockport, England, and the son of Mr and Mrs Thos. Lamb, of Ann street, Roslyn. With his parents, he came here 14 years ago, and subsequently served his apprenticeship as cutter at Sargood, Son, and Ewen's clothing factory. He was always a keen volunteer, and was a member of the Signalling Company, getting his commission as lieutenant when he left for the training camp at Palmerston North previous to sailing from Auckland as a member of the Main Expeditionary Force. He was a subaltern in the signalling division at Gailipoli, and had under him Corporal Tom Bassett, the first New Zealander to get the V.C. in the present war, besides three D.C.M.s. He was a member of the Anglican Harriers in this City. Another brother, Tom, who enlisted, is in England invalided.  -Evening Star, 28/6/1916.

TJoseph Lambe spent five months on Gallipoli peninsula before being rested on the Greek island of Mudros.  He seems to have spent a few months of this recovering from gastro-enteritis - a common complaint from the campaign. After some time on duty back in Egypt, he developed scarlet fever and was hospitalised for two and a half months.  He left with the NZEF for France in April, 1916, taking up position in the Armentieres area.

There was much to learn in France for the NZ Engineers.  Conditions in the field were different - a lot wetter for a start.  German fortifications were more developed - they knew that they merely had to stay in French territory to be winning the war - and took more effort to raid and destroy.

Joseph Lamb was seriously injured on his 24th birthday and died the next day.  As a signals officer I assume that he would have had an area of territory to supervise and inspect.  As there seems to have been little in the way of action in Armentieres area on the day of his wounding, my best guess is that he was hit by a sniper.  He died in the New Zealand Field Ambulance.

Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France.

Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.  DCC photo.

IN MEMORIAM

LAMB. — In loving memory of Lieutenant Joseph Lamb (N.Z.E., Main Body), who died from wounds at Armentieres, on June 20, 1916, eldest son of T. and S. A. Lamb, Ann street, Roslyn. 

We miss him most who loved him best.   -Otago Witness, 26/6/1918.