Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1900, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith, Transvaal, Laing’s Nek (1395 Pte. B. Lambert. K.R.R.C.) contact marks to obverse, edge bruised with scratches to rim, nearly very fine £120-£160

Bryant Lambert was born in Bradford, Yorkshire. A painter by occupation, he attested originally for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 12 January 1897 but was discharged on 15 February 1897 after having been ‘claimed as an apprentice’. Convicted of giving a false answer on attestation he was sentenced to 7 days’ hard labour. He attested once more for the King’s Royal Rifle Corps on 6 December 1898. Posted to the 4th Battalion, he transferred to the 3rd Battalion on 3 January 1900 and proceeded to South Africa to join up with his new battalion. At Spion Kop on 24 January 1900, the 3rd K.R.R.C. saw heavy fighting. Major Bewick-Copley’s report of the battalion’s activities on that day reads as follows:

‘Leaving Spearman's Hill at 10 am, they crossed the Tugela and advanced in widely extended order against the Twin Peaks north-east of Spion Kop, the right-half battalion attacking the right hill, called Sugar-Loaf Hill, and the left-half battalion the other hill. Both hills and the nek between them were strongly held. At 4.45 pm the Sugar-Loaf Hill was carried, "the Boers only leaving as the men's swords came over the crest-line". Lieutenant Colonel Buchanan-Riddell was killed as he cheered his men in the final rush. Shortly afterwards the left hill was carried by Major Bewick-Copley's command. "Though still under a galling fire from both flanks, we were able to stop the fire of the machine guns 150 yards to our front, and also to keep down the fire of the Boers, which was being directed on to the right flank of Sir Charles Warren's troops, holding the main ridge of Spion Kop". About 6.30 the battalion received General Lyttelton's order to retire, and "by midnight had recrossed the Tugela practically unmolested". The fact that the hills were so very steep, and that the operation was very skilfully carried out, rendered the casualty list less heavy than was to have been expected. The battalion's losses were approximately 17 killed and 61 wounded’

Lambert served in Ceylon, July 1900-January 1901; India, January 1901-March 1907 and returned to England, March 1907-December 1910. After the outbreak of the Great War, he served with the 2nd Battalion, West Riding Regiment on the Western Front from 18 February 1915, later transferring to the East Yorkshire Regiment. He died in 1944 in Bradford, Yorkshire.