Thomas Valentine Lambert was born in Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire in March 1898 and baptised on Wednesday, 20th September 1899 at All Saints Church, Kings Langley. He was the third child of Herbert John Lambert and Mary Ann Jelly who had seven children together who were Florence Mary Hanson, Edith Elizabeth, Thomas Valentine, John Herbert and Phyllis Kate, Frances Norah and Alfred DennisThomas’ father Herbert was a “Bricklayer” by trade and had come to Abbots Langley from Bishop Stortford, his hometown, via London where he had met and married Mary and where Thomas’ two older sisters were born. His mother Mary was a native of Althorp in Northamptonshire and in 1901 her mother and two of her brothers’ William and James were also living with the family at Railway Terrace in the village. William Jelly was also killed on active service on the 18th March 1917, fighting in the 5th Battalion King’s (Shropshire Light Infantry).

Thomas completed his education in 1911 and went to work for John Dickinson & Co., Limited in the “Stamping Room” in Apsley Mills. He described himself as a “Layer On” when he enlisted, which was a specific part of the paper making process. On the outbreak of war, Thomas was too young at sixteen to volunteer, but undeterred, he travelled to St. Albans where he attested on the 26th October and claimed to have been born in August 1895, making him “nineteen” and therefore old enough for immediate overseas service. He was tall for the time and for his age at five feet nine inches and physically well developed, so it is perhaps not surprising that he was accepted for enlistment.

He joined the Bedfordshire Regiment and was posted for basic training to the 8th Battalion and assigned to “C” Company. He went first to Bedford and then briefly to Brighton when the Battalion moved there, before undertaking most of most of his training in Surrey, with almost seven months being spent in the sprawling New Army training area around Woking. The increasingly restless men of the “Hungry 8th”, as it became known, received orders to mobilise and prepared to ship out and departing Dover on the 29th August 1915 disembarking the following morning at Boulogne. Thomas followed just over a month later on the 4th October joining his unit at Vlamertinghe, west of Ypres four days later, as part of a draft of 115 men.

During the next three months he saw action in the trenches until the 3rd January 1916 when he was taken out of the line, evacuated to England and admitted to London General Hospital, Denmark Hill, suffering from “Trench Foot”. This condition was a common occurrence amongst soldiers in the cold, wet conditions of the trenches and began with itching, progressing to numbness and could lead to infection. It is estimated that over 75,000 British soldiers died as a result of trench foot in the Great War. Thomas was treated in hospital for three weeks before being discharged and sent to a base depot to await posting. This occurred in February 1916 when he was sent to the 10th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment, a “Reserve” battalion based at Dovercourt, Harwich on coastal defence duties.

He was sent overseas again on the 1st September 1916, posted initially to the 28th Battalion Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) Regiment, before being transferred to the 51st Battalion Queen’s. In 1917 he received a series of promotions, first to Lance Corporal in February and then to Corporal two months later with full pay backdated to October 1916. On discharge, Thomas was described as being of “Very Good” character and “Found to be sober, honest, intelligent and trustworthy”. Admirable characteristics given his very young age and explains his eventual promotion to Sergeant in March 1918. His obvious abilities also marked him out for other responsibilities and in December 1917, he qualified as the Regiment’s Anti-Gas Instructor.

However, despite his progression as a soldier and N.C.O., Thomas was suffering from serious illness which finally manifested itself in May 1918, when he was admitted to a Field Ambulance at the end of the month feeling unwell. After two days of treatment he was once again evacuated to England, where he was transferred to the Eastern General Hospital, Cambridge, where he was to remain for the next seventy-seven days. During this time in hospital he was diagnosed with “Diabetes Mellitus” which tragically, before the discovery of insulin in 1926, condemned sufferers to very short lives.

Before insulin, patients with diabetes could only be treated by diet which was very restricted and unpalatable and often based on extremely low calorific intake which inevitably exacerbated the condition. Thomas’ case was reviewed by the Army Medical Board at the end of July 1918 and the decision was reached that he should be permanently discharged from the Army as “…no longer fit for war service.” He was formally discharged and released from hospital on 13th August 1918 and travelled back to his parent’s home at 8 East View, London Road in Boxmoor. Sadly, his time there was very short and only five days later, Thomas died of his illness on Sunday, 18th August 1918.

The Medical Board had determined that Thomas’ death was “Neither due to nor aggravated by service during war with Germany” leaving no room for doubt. The result of this decision meant that no war pension was awarded for Thomas and more cruelly perhaps, meant that he is not officially recognised as a victim of the Great War. This was not unusual when a soldier was discharged and died of illness, but in Thomas’ case it seems particularly callous. He had lied about his age in his determination to enlist and “Do his bit”, as well as proving to be a model soldier capable of taking responsibility, for which has rank attests. In all he served for just under four years suffering privations which may indeed have exacerbated his illness, but it seems from his records that despite his condition, he continued to do his duty to the best of his ability.

Despite the lack of official acknowledgement of his sacrifice, he is commemorated on the John Dickinson & Co., Limited War Memorial at Apsley End.

Thomas is Remembered with Honour in All Saints Churchyard, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire where he had been baptised and worshipped.

He was only 20 years old when he died.

Thomas was entitled to the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal and was awarded a Silver War Badge on his discharge from the services.